The Unfortunate Son of Lunatic, year three
by I Swear I'm Not A Werewolf
Summary: Rose Weasley has taken habit in her previous school years of breaking rules with her friends at Hogwarts. But now entering third year, what adventure awaits? Will they be caught for kidnapping a mermaid? Will the Marauder's book of animagi help in Sugamina? Will Belladonna return? Will a certain Russian capture her heart? And what is off about Rose's new roommate?
1. A Russian House Guest

The night was warm, and the stars were bright. Rose Weasley put her eye once again to the lens of her telescope, praying to see something more than a black stretch of sky in front. Absolutely nothing shone through. Rose huffed and smacked her telescope in frustration causing it to swivel. The hand of the boy sitting beside her had caught the scope before Rose was slapped in the face by the whirling machine.

"Calm down," he smiled with amusement. "Now we have to re-center."

Rose sat beside the boy and crossed her arms. "I was a stupid to sign up for Divination, Illya, I can't see a thing, and that's paramount in the subject."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there," Illya replied while peering through the telescope. "I never took Divination. I chose Arithmancy instead."

Illya had been staying with Rose and her parents for the past three days. He lived in Russia, but his parents had an opportunity in Japan that they had to take and wouldn't be back in time to take him to Britain for his boarding school. He and Rose had been writing as friends over the summer, and she invited him to stay with them so they could all go to King's Cross Station when it was time to leave together.

Rose watched him try to find Mars and pulled her wand from behind her ear. She couldn't use magic outside of school and she couldn't understand what made her carry it everywhere she went. Force of habit, she supposed. Rose Weasley was a witch, and a clever one at that. She crawled across her rooftop to peer at her neighbors below. They had no magic powers and were completely oblivious to being in a magical community. Rose just hoped that they weren't going to enjoy the warm night either or else she and Illya might be caught on the roof with a telescope which could raise awkward questions.

"Of all subjects, Rosie, I don't know why you drug me out of bed for Astronomy. You know I'm lousy at it," Illya mumbled.

"I can't even set the thing up; at least you could do that," she shrugged.

Illya straightened up. "Well, I found a blob but haven't the slightest what it is. Do you have your chart?"

Rose pulled a small pamphlet from her bag and sat beside Illya. He scooted closer and crossed his legs.

"We're staring west so I think that's… uh-" He turned a couple of pages from the book in Rose's lap, and his chest grazed her arm.

He was warm and smelled like ground cloves. His wavy blonde hair curled over his forehead, and his eyes were just as sparkling blue as always even despite the low light. Something tingly swept through Rose, and she shook slightly to get it out. _No! Not now!_

"You cold?" he asked, evidently noticing her little shiver.

"No," she replied, but didn't elaborate.

"Yeah, sorry, hun, I have no idea where we are," he laughed while giving up on the book.

He often called her hun, or sweetheart, or doll, she wondered if this was normal where he came from. She knew that many people further down South use those names. But usually people referred those names to their significant other, or maybe he used them because she was small, like a doll. Now that she thought about it, she did look a bit like a baby doll. Her hair was red and curly, the frizz had softened slightly over the summer and now actually resembled bushy ringlets. Her eyes were round and chocolaty brown, her skin was fair but covered in freckles and she was rather short. Though she was a lot stronger than people would first assume. She had two years of Quidditch muscle (Quidditch was a popular wizarding sport). But her height didn't bother her too badly, she was only thirteen after all. And next to Illya who was sixteen and very tall, also with Quidditch muscle, she would understand being something small referred to as Sweetie and little-bit.

"Max would know exactly where we were," she huffed. Max was her best friend at school and was a rather complicated boy with severe mother issues and incredible healing powers.

"Why don't you ask him?" Illya proposed, laying back with his arms behind his head. He was wearing an orange turtleneck and looked incredibly cozy.

"We leave for school in two days; it's not worth a letter."

"But doesn't he live a few hours away? A reply would be back in time."

"We don't know that! Something could happen to my owl or his! Besides, we're expecting major storms are sweeping through, and I don't want Cromwell taking the trip," she argued.

Cromwell wasn't exactly her owl, which was used to deliver post in the wizarding world. Cromwell was her roommates at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But the owl had bonded with her through both school years and somehow found out where she lived and kept returned with her post and taking the letters she wanted to be sent. He was currently snuggled on her pillow.

Illy sat up and slung his arms over his knees with raised eyebrows. "You just want an excuse to not finish your stargazing for the summer," he said knowingly. He always knew when she was lying which she realized since him being here, she did quite often. He never lied. He was a Hufflepuff at school and known for being honest, and hardworking, and kind, and loyal. Rose was in the Gryffindor house at Hogwarts herself. She was known for being brave, and chivalrous, and headstrong, and competitive. The other two houses were Ravenclaw (known for being wise, creative, and original) and Slytherin which houses a couple of her other really good friends. Slytherin was known for being cunning, and sly, and resourceful.

"Is that so wrong?" Rose asked, flopping back on her shingled roof.

"No," Illya replied. "No one would really know if you did all twelve hours. I mean, I did them each year, but for you, no one will know."

Rose sat back up and grinned. "Are you telling me to deceive the Professors?"

"It wouldn't matter if I did; you were going to do it anyway."

"Sometimes I feel as though you can read my mind," she said.

"I've been practicing on becoming a legilimens," he replied. Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't intend to use it on you."

Rose pulled her knees to her chest and stared up at the sky; she could see nothing but speckled blobs. She glanced over at Illya who was watching his shoelaces it seemed. Over the past few days, he hadn't been as comfortable or confident as Rose knew him to be. He could play it cool but it was just that, he was playing. She felt similar. She had always been able to be completely herself in front of Max, or her friend, Scorpius, or her cousin, Albus, but around Illya, there was a hand clenching her stomach. She would now admit, not out loud, that she had previously been guilty of liking this Hufflepuff in her first year when she had snuck to the local all magic town, Hogsmeade, and pretended to be a girl named Aubrey. She had spent all Halloween with him but had run away when reaching castle like Cinderella. She had removed her mask and Aubrey hadn't returned since. Illya had unfortunately taken quite a liking to this fake Rose and seemed to have feelings for her. Rose hadn't dared tell him that Aubrey had actually been her. She was afraid he would lash out though he had never done before. Especially after he had been appointed Hufflepuff prefect, perhaps he would snitch. But in any case, she had forgotten about Aubrey though she doubted he had.

Rose was starting to think that having him over wasn't such a good idea. He was an excellent house guest and helped her mother, Hermione, with preparing meals and always washed the dishes after. He made his bed in Hugo's room every morning and always put the toilet seat down, something her dad hadn't ever taken the habit of doing. But, since he's been here, unfortunate but familiar feelings had arisen. She denied it but couldn't mistake that she was redeveloping her old crush.

 _This is stupid, Rose._ She thought as she placed her head in her hands. _He's, like, three years older than me and will graduate next year. Ugh, this was a terrible idea, what Max would think._

What Max _would_ think because she hadn't dared tell him that Illya was staying over. They wrote every to every other day, but he didn't seem to like Illya though she couldn't imagine why he hadn't made any enemies and was relatively respected wherever he went. Albus had visited from a couple of miles down throughout the summer and had greeted Illya. Scorpius thought nothing of it, but Olivia, a Slytherin and Rose's only girl friend, had insisted on it being a terrible thing unless she wanted to develop feelings for the Hufflepuff.

"We should head in."

"What?" Rose was snapped out of thought as Illya stood and took her hands.

"It's nearly one in the morning, and we're done stargazing, you should be getting to bed." He took her by the arms and carefully lowered her to her window ledge. They had climbed to the roof rather than flown on brooms because Illya had climbed out before Rose could fetch the brooms. He was muggle born and tried not to use magic when it was unnecessary; he insisted that the easy way isn't always best because you won't appreciate magic when you're always using it.

Rose landed on her window seal and climbed onto her bed. Illya lowered the telescope and hoisted himself down. He landed on the window ledge but didn't step onto her bed. He jumped over and immediately backed through her bedroom door.

"Goodnight," he smiled before nodding and closing the door behind him.

Unlike Max, Scor, and Albus when they all visited, Illya hadn't spent any time in her room. In fact, the only time he was in there was in the brief moments he used the window to climb onto the roof. He thought that it was inappropriate to be alone with a girl in her bedroom and never closed the door while they were together. He was something from the seventeenth century.

Rose sat at her writing desk and filled her quill of blue ink. She took a bit of parchment from the stack and began writing.

 _Dear Max,_

 _I didn't see you at Diagon Alley yesterday. Is everything alright? I wrote for you to come. Anyway, Scorpius and Olivia were there. Poor Scor was so sore; Olly drug him in a sprint all over the alley. I hope to hear from you before the train, if not, I suppose I'll see you at King's Cross on 1 September. By the way, the three blobs clumped together in the West, what are those stars called?_

 _-Rosebud._

Rose gingerly tapped the brown barn owl on her pillow to stir him awake.

"Cromwell, I've got a letter for you," she whispered.

The owl bounded up enthusiastically and hopped all over her mattress like a buoyant child, flapping his wings and hooting.

"Stay still," she ordered.

The owl froze and stuck out its leg so she could tie the letter to it. Rose scratched his head and sent him through the window where he squealed and spun in the air; he acted as though the task of delivering her mail was an honor.

Rose blew out her candle and climbed into her bed to pulled the sheets over her shoulders, she had already been in her pajamas while she and Illya tried to study. She shouldn't have expected to see anything in the sky. She could only see the stars when she was with Max. She laid in bed, rolling about for two and a half hours straight. She had been having trouble sleeping since the start of summer. It was such a helpless feeling. Lying awake with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling illuminated by moonlight. She had hung school notes over her bed so in these hours of nothing she would at least be able to study. But, these notes caused her to have dreams that she was studying which was actually quite convenient. She would wake and have them memorized. Her mother suggested that the inability to sleep may be a cause of a heavy conscience. She had denied this to her mother but didn't roll it out as not being an option. She and her friends had practically kidnapped a mermaid last year and hid her in the secrets gardens behind a waterfall. It was quite a long story but the merpeople of the lake were furious though not knowing who was responsible. They had actually organized for a search to be made of the school as though one of the students were hiding the mermaid in their bathroom sink.

Though they had actually, through a peculiar set of events, taken the mermaid from the lake and wheelbarrowed her across grounds pass Filtch the caretaker and Hagrid the grounds keeper to the gardens pass all of the house elves to hide her behind a waterfall in the spring season of the gardens to be tended to by Yoman, their favorite house elf. Albus had befriended this mermaid through his dormitory window and he and Scorpius had begun sneaking out every night and every morning to the lake so they could teach her English. They had given her the name Stella, because her birth name, Heranem, meant dirt. Max, Rose, and Olivia had later learned about her and had taken apart of the biggest and most dangerous feat in transfiguration history. They had agreed in giving Stella what she so desired, getting out of the lake and away from her people, in the only way they could think best to do it. They had begun trying to figure out how to turn her human. This was impossible thus said by many famous scholars, but the children knew otherwise. They had learned that anything was possible as long as you have enough nerve. Their strides were slow and they knew that this task would take nearly their entire school years. But one thing was discovered at the end of the previous year. A book was found, a book belonging to the Marauders, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and the newly discovered, Ezekiel Dalbert. In this book was the recorded steps one needed to become an Animagus as four out of the five were. This book would have been the answer to their task if James Potter the second, Rose's cousin, and his friend Tyler found it as they were both trying to become illegal animagi. But for the five who did find it, there was still a significant amount of riddling to do as they were learning to do reverse animagi that they called Sugamina. They had left the book with Albus Potter because he was more crazed about this mission than any of the rest. He had made major breakthroughs and his room looked similar to a detective spider wed of red yarn connecting the steps to plants or names or people that could be referenced as reverse. Nobody was allowed in unless they were a member of 'Sugar' which was what the group called themselves. Albus had even booby trapped his room for when James came snooping as they all knew he would.

Stella and Albus had been in contact over the summer by means of magic hand mirrors which worked like video call. They had been conversing what they had learned or riddled out. It was incredible that the mirrors appeared to be waterproof. This way, Stella would speak to Albus underwater so her voice was angelic and sweet. Above, she sounded more like a parrot because her throat wasn't equipped with the parts to make certain sounds. Rose had been studying for Sugamina too and worked as hard as Scor, Max, and Olivia were at their homes. The issue was, each of their brains ran on different tracks, which meant that if they were each given the same phrase, they would all come back with a different meaning behind it; they would each have deciphered it differently. This may not be a bad thing as they had more options and more views, but they often broke into educated and civil arguments about why their perspective made the most sense.

Rose finally closed her eyes and shot them open again within the next few seconds, though the sun was now shining through the window to warm her legs and the weight of her eyelids suggested that she had indeed fallen asleep through the night though it felt like fifteen seconds. There was a soft knocking on her door. Rose quickly sat up and finger combed her hair before rubbing any crumbs from the corners of her eyes. She knew who was behind her door. If it were her brother, Hugo, he would have just-

BANG!

Her door flew open to make the dent in the wall where the doorknob rested give way to a small opening.

"Wake up, Rosie!" Hugo called, Illya still had his hand raised at the door and looked shocked by Hugo's demeanor. Her brother was twelve and now entering his second year at Hogwarts. He had red hair which was a mound of neat curls atop his head and his freckles were just across his nose. He was already taller than Rose and thought by the other girls at school to be incredibly cool. "Illya's been knocking for three minutes straight, I told him to come right it."

"I'm not allowed into a girl's room unless given permission," said Illya. "I just wanted to give you your owl, Rose. It came through our window because it couldn't get through yours."

Illya released Cromwell who had been snuggled cozily in his arms and hopped on her bed with a letter tied around his leg. Illya nodded curtly and left the doorway. Hugo was standing in her room with his arms crossed and jabbed his thumb in Illya's direction.

"Is he for real?" Hugo mouthed.

Rose smiled. "Yeah, he is." Hugo left, and Rose took the letter from Cromwell before gently patting his head. She opened it to see Max's cat scratch handwriting. His writing looked like he lifted the quill after each individual stroke.

 _Dear Rosie,_

It read.

 _Yeah, I couldn't come to Diagon Alley the other day, things have been a little difficult here, with dad and all. I wish I could have come; it sounded like you guys had fun. But I'll see you tomorrow at King's Cross. The information you need is on the back._

The following page consisted of a map and coordinates with Max's handwriting labeling each constellation and star. Her question was answered along with her entire summers worth of Astronomy homework on just that back page.


	2. Rose Jumps Through a Moving Train

Rose spent the rest of the day on her living room sofa finishing her Astronomy homework. She used Max's notes he sent and practically quoted word for word onto her parchment, with his permission, of course. Illya looked over her summer History of Magic homework to be sure the information was correct. To her surprise, Illya enjoyed the subject, unlike anyone she knew. He corrected most of the spelling that she could never get right.

Hugo had already finished his summer work not having Sugamina or any extracurricular work to occupy his time or distract him. In fact, he finished his work in the first three weeks so to have the rest of the summer off. Hugo was like that.

"It's your last day," said Rose over her star chart without looking up.

"Yeah," Illya replied with a slight tone of sadness.

"You know what that means?"

"What?"

"Dads gonna drag you out to play Quidditch," she replied.

"Well if I'm being drug out then I'm taking you with me," he grinned.

"No, you won't! I just showered," she huffed.

"Really? I think you missed a spot just-" he touched the bottom of her chin causing Rose to squeal and jerk away. This surprised Illya. He smirked. "Rose Weasley, are you ticklish?"

"No!" she lied in a high pitch voice.

"So, it doesn't tickle when I do this?" he poked her in the ribs.

Rose screamed and ultimately gave herself away as Illya was in total control, not being ticklish himself. Though she screamed and whaled, she didn't tell him to stop. The closer he got, the more pungent his smell of cloves and snow was. To put it simply, he smelled of Christmas, and when he was around, Rose felt full of warmth and wanted to begin singing carols and go Christmas shopping.

"Stop!" she finally laughed. He immediately backed away.

She shook her head, red-faced, at him and huffed a smile. She had been right. Her father, Ron, did drag Illya out and with an imploring look at Rose, she joined. Playing Quidditch with her dad just before a Hogwarts term was now a tradition. The wind swept through her hair and across her face as she yelled when she hit a bludger. She did this because the extra energy released when shouting forced more momentum into her swing. She played in the position of beater on her Quidditch team at Hogwarts. This meant it was her and her partner, Enoc Hubert's, job to hit these rock-like balls away from their teammates and at the opposing team's players while the three chasers tried to get a red leather ball called the quaffle into one of the three fifty foot high goal hoops on either end of the pitch. The Keeper guarded the goal hoops and the game continued until the Seeker caught a tiny gold ball called the snitch ending the game and earning their team one-hundred and fifty points. Though, since this was just recreational in her back yard, Rose both blocked bludgers and played chaser while keeping a lookout for the snitch. Hugo had been pulled out to play Keeper on one end while Ron played on the other. Illya and Rose were competing and played nearly all positions.

Rose, Ron, Hugo, and Illya all sped to the ground when Hermione called everyone for dinner. Illya touched down, tassel-haired and red-faced and was the only one to place his borrowed broom back inside of the shed. Hermione had made Illya's favorite meal, it being his last with them. It had only been a week, but all of Rose's family had taken quite a liking the Russian. They all feasted on roast beast and potatoes while Hugo tried to explain why it was alright that he tore the innards from all of their clocks to see how they worked. Rose noticed that Illya was eating with his left hand though dominantly using his right. She then felt warmth against her left hand resting neatly on the table and glanced across the red table cloth to see the back of Illya's hand touching ever so gently against hers. She gasped suddenly as something tightened in her chest and she felt the atmosphere become hot.

 _Stop it, Rose, you're stupid!_ She repeated to herself as she had been doing all week.

She shoveled food into her mouth to keep from saying anything foolish. Illya ate with his left hand throughout dinner, and he didn't move his right.

Rose had finished packing for school with all her new school books, cauldron, viles, telescope, and broomstick. It was after she dressed into her pajamas and was trying desperately to pull the brush from her hair that a soft knock pounded on the bedroom door.

"Come in," she announced, her eyes now watering with the effort and pain of the brush now completely stuck in her hair.

Illya opened her door and smiled slightly. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Why?" she grunted testily and with much frustration.

"Your eyes are watering," he replied. "Here, let me." He entered the room, leaving the door wide open, to gently take her hands away so he could get to the brush.

"This is embarrassing," Rose could have sworn she said to herself, but Illya shook his head.

"I have a sister," he said. "Lola's always doing this. Yours isn't the first brush that I've had to unearth." He placed her hairbrush on the desk where she was sitting. Lola had stayed with her friend over the summer in Hogsmeade, so getting her to school was not a problem.

"Thanks," she mumbled, red-faced. "What did you come in here for?"

"Right," he remembered. "Look, I just wanted to say thank you for inviting me to stay this past week. I don't know what we would have done. We're a little short on funds so I couldn't have rented a room, and my friends- well, thanks."

"We've enjoyed having you," Rose smiled. "I'm disappointed it's over."

"Yeah, but we'll still hang out. At school, we're living in the same building; there's no reason for goodbyes."

Rose didn't think this likely. They were in separate classes, separate grades, and their subjects ran at difficult times to even see each other down corridors. After classes would be hard to do much of anything with Sugamina. Perhaps at meal times. But for Rose, this was goodbye.

Rose nodded anyway and jumped with the flash of lighting outside her window and a light sprinkle began hitting the roof above.

Illya took her hands gently and smiled, then nodded, and let go before leaving the room. Rose watched him turn the corner before flopping onto her bed with a muffled but exasperated growl. She was really going to miss him at school. Thunder crashed outside and the rest of the night she spent awake while listening to the now extremely heavy fall of rain above. The sky opened and allowed the heavens to cry. Rose didn't sleep for hours. She had the rain to occupy her ears, and Illya to occupy her mind. The boy made her feel special, and beautiful, and as though she were the only person he could see. She wanted to reject the feeling as it was inconvenient for her everyday demeanor and focus. She wanted to deny that she liked him, but then he would smile at her and she would melt.

 _Alexis would get a kick out of this._ Rose thought before finally turning over and dozing off.

Rose had thought that everything was in order for the trip to King's Cross Station, but she had apparently forgotten to do seventy percent of her preparations. Hermione had to help find all of Rose's socks, a few spare quills hiding under the rug, and Rose was on her hands and knees to locate her hair pins which were buried in the shag carpet. Hugo lounged on the sofa eating jam toast and watching having forgotten nothing himself. Illya put away the jams and butter to prevent pests from getting into them whilst they were gone. Rose had been so busy and distraught with all the preparations that she was surprised when she opened the front door with her trunk to find rain pelting from the sky and flooding the driveway in heavy currents.

It was a very soaked family that drove silently through the storm to make it to the station by eleven o'clock. Rose sincerely wanted to use her wand to conjure an umbrella while everyone heaved their trunk through the parking lot of King's Cross, but as they were still the muggle world, she was forbidden, not to mention she still couldn't do magic outside of school. Puddles of water followed them as they squeaked across the marble floors. Hugo was as dry as a bone from the waist up. He removed his umbrella hat gleefully and tucked it under his arms with only damp jeans.

"Illya, you go first," Hermione proposed when stopping before a solid brick wall before platform nine and platform ten while ringing great showers of water from her frizzy hair.

Illya nodded and sprinted toward the brick wall but vanished directly after arriving at it. This was how Wizards entered their platform for the Hogwarts train. They ran at the brick wall and straight through it. If done correctly, the muggles bustling about in suits and ties on either side would never notice. Though, they noticed very little anyway; they were all too focused on electronic devices to pay attention to the outside world. Rose wasn't watching as Hugo ran at the wall a minute after; she had other things on her mind and was staring at her shoes as she thought.

How was she going to explain this to Max? She knew that he didn't like Illya and she knew how protective he was over her as a friend, what excuse would she use to tell him why she had invited Illya in the first place? She hadn't seen Max all summer anyway. But, then, why should she care what he thinks? He's not her father nor is he her boyfriend, why was she so nervous about telling him; she shouldn't be. And what reason did he have not to like Illya? He was perfect! No, she wouldn't stress, Max was just her friend. Though she wouldn't dare tell him what tingly hot feeling swept through her every time Illya was around.

"Rose!"

Rose blinked out of thought and looked away from the domed ceiling drenched in water to see her mother pulling her sleeve.

"Hurry. Go now!"

Rose ran and felt a swooping sensation through her, like a strong wind that didn't force you. She emerged a second later on platform nine and three-quarters. All around were teenagers and children wearing black robes with their house colored ties and crests. There was a lot a chatter and screeching from the owls, squeaking from the rats, and meowing from the cats. Rose wished she had a pet. Steam puffed from a scarlet engine waiting for its passengers. Many children were already hanging out of the train windows to wave at parents and friends.

Rose looked around; she couldn't find Illya anywhere. Hermione placed a hand on Rose's shoulder and directed her onward saying, "Let's find your brother."

It didn't take more than Hermione removing her hand from Rose's shoulder to shake an old friend's that caused mother and daughter to be separated. By this time, Rose recognized nearly every student on the platform. She had an excellent memory when seeing faces but she could never remember their names nor where she knew them from. It was their smell that Rose remembered most of all. If she could pin a name to a smell, she would remember. She saw Louis Weasley with Dominique. They were easy to spot. Louis was a very handsome blond boy who was flashing pictures of everything with the camera around his neck. Dominique was a beautiful auburn haired girl in her sixth year at Hogwarts. These were some of Rose's many cousins. Her Uncle Bill, and Aunt Flur, were hugging their two children while Victoire, their oldest daughter who had already graduated from Hogwarts with her boyfriend, Teddy, bid her siblings goodbye as they hopped onto the train which whistled loudly to announce five minutes until eleven.

Rose's other uncle, George, watched while his wife, Angelina, warned her two troublesome children, Fred and Roxanne, not to get into trouble this year.

Any other family members were obscured from view by the thick steam on the engine. Rose walked across the platform with her parents, keeping an eye peeled for her best friends in the world, and Illya. However, she saw none of them. What she did see was a small first year girl, clinging onto her father's robes and bawling about not wanting to go. A teenage muggle boy who was the apparent brother of a witch or wizard sibling, was entertaining a large group of witches about how he broke his leg with a jackhammer. There was a beautiful girl with hazel eyes sitting alone in a corner and looking around as if for someone. She caught Rose's eye and smiled politely. Something red flashed by and Rose was distracted as a young girl danced through the crowd happily.

"Lily!" Rose shouted.

Lily stopped and turned to Rose, then smiled and ran forward. Lily was Rose's uncle Harry Potter's only daughter and was to be starting at Hogwarts for the first time this year. Rose hugged Lily tightly and beamed at the girl who looked very similar to herself.

"Are you excited?" Rose asked.

"Beyond belief!" Lily squealed.

"Are you nervous about the sorting?"

"No," Lily surprised Rose by saying carelessly.

"Really? That's very admirable. Why not?"

"Because the sorting hat will put me where I'll do best and if I don't try to meddle, I'll be put there, and wherever I'm put, I'll do well. So, I'm not worried," Lily said promptly.

The sorting was done for all first years by simply wearing an ancient wizard's hat that had a mind of its own and could peer into your subconscious to decide whether you're brave, cunning, wise, or kind. Lily's reply sparked at Rose's memory and she couldn't remember where she had heard that before.

"Who told you that, Lily?" Rose asked.

Lily pointed to a tall boy with white blond hair combed neatly to the side. He had pale skin, steel blue eyes, a slightly pointed chin, his hands in his pockets, and was watching them warmly with an expression of happiness on his face.

"Scor!" Rose called and threw herself into the boy's arms.

Scorpius was one of her best friends and a Slytherin. He seemed to have grown another fair few inches taller and was just as lanky as ever.

"I see you've been giving Lily some advice," said Rose, trying to ignore how short she felt beside him.

"I might have calmed her nerves a bit," he shrugged.

"Wait!" Rose looked around quickly. Lily was here, and Scorpius was near which meant- "Al!" Rose called and sprang at her cousin.

He was taken by surprise and was knocked off balance as Rose gripped him tightly around the waist. He didn't live far from her and he had visited a few times over summer, but since the fiasco last semester, Albus had become so much more precious to her. Last semester he had gotten into a fight with a merman and came off worse. He had been sliced by the man's spear which was coated in poison. It was this poison that caused Albus to be unconscious and closer to death than in a coma for the next four and half months. He had missed the entire second semester and his friends had to take up Sugamina without their leader. He had been so busy over the summer as he was forced to catch up on the school he missed and take the exams at home with his godfather and Hogwarts Herbology Professor, Neville Longbottom to oversee it.

Albus Potter looked very similar to his father and grandfather before him. He had tasseled black hair and bright green eyes behind square glasses. He was thin and only slightly taller than Rose. But unlike his father and Grandfather before him, he had been sorted into Slytherin house. He was wearing his Slytherin robes and had a guitar case fastened on his back that he hadn't gone anywhere without since the start of the summer Holidays where it was gifted to him by Uncle Bill as a get well soon present.

"You act like you haven't seen me in ages," said Al through a face-full of red hair.

"I know, where's Max?" Rose peered around. "I haven't seen him all summer, and I want to meet his parents!"

"No you don't," said Scorpius earnestly. "I met them last year. They're not a friendly bunch."

"Well," Rose thought. "If his father raised someone like Max, Clent can't be all bad."

"I think Max raised himself," came a confident voice from behind Rose.

Everyone spun to see Olivia Merik. She had long black hair and bright blue eyes. She was the only female of her quince and was the only Slytherin of her three Gryffindor brothers; the last was a squib. Olivia hugged Rose, then Al, then Scorpius. After hugging Scor, she backed away coughing and holding her nose.

"What?" Scor asked, sniffing himself.

"Do you bathe in that cologne, Hyperion?" she asked him, making a much bigger deal of it than it was.

The train whistled again to announce take off.

"Shoot!" called Olivia. "I can't miss the train!" She took Scorpius by the hand and sprinted toward the engine.

"Rose, come on!" called Albus, taking off as well, but Rose had caught sight of little Ava.

"Just a minute. I'll catch you later!" Rose called back.

"Don't miss the train!" Al called turned back toward the engine and running again. "We're a little short on flying cars!"

Rose shoved through the crowd as quick as she could. Ava was Neville and Hannah Longbottom's first child. The little girl was just over a year old and had Neville wrapped around her tiny finger. Rose slid to a stop in front of her family friend and their child.

"Goodbye, Ava!" Rose gasped, taking the girl from Hannah to be cradled in her arms. Ava had her father's dark hair but her mother's blue eyes. She was wearing a yellow bonnet and white dress small enough to fit Rose's old baby dolls.

"Rose, you're going to be late!" Hannah called over the crowds.

"Next time I see her, she'll be twice this size," said Rose, handing Ava back to her mother. She had been trusted to babysit the child a couple of times and loved every non-crying moment she had.

"Rose, the train!" Neville raised his voice and spun Rose around.

Another whistle blew, and the train gave a lurch and began puffing away.

"No!" Rose cried and burst toward the tracks.

The engine was gaining speed while Rose ran along the side. All of the doors had been shut, and there was no way she could reopen one.

 _I can't miss the train! I just can't!_ She thought to herself.

Lorcan, Lysander, and Lily were all being sorted this year, and she couldn't miss it!

Rose banged on the side of the train as though it would make much of a difference. She heard a few familiar voices call her name as she ran, but she didn't look. Many students were hanging from their windows to watch her as she was growing closer to the end of her tracks and the wall.

Rose stumbled to a stop to grab her hair with tears welling in her eyes.

"Rose!" came a loud call.

Illya was hanging from his window with many friends by his side.

"Take my hand!" he called.

She took off again and tried to grab ahold of his and his friend's outstretched hands. So close she was to gripping his palm, but she slipped as Illya, and his friends fell back into their window to avoid getting their arms broken off by the tunnel wall they had just disappeared into.

Something else had gripped her arms before they fell back at her side. These hands were rough unlike Illya's. They gripped her wrist tightly and heaved her off her feet where she was yanked through the open window of the train. Rose felt her shoes hit the stone tunnel walls as she fell through the window into the train and onto her rescuer. Illya and his gang sprinted pass the compartment she was in, looking highly distressed.

"What in the world were you thinking? You could have missed the train! Why did you have to say goodbye to that baby? Look at you. Rose, your hair!" The boy who had caught her took her now very wind-swept hair in his hands and tied it into a knot on the back of her head. She didn't have to see the boy's face to know who it was. His hands took her by the arms and spun her around. Max shook his head at her and took Rose in his arms which was very uncommon as he rarely hugged.

Max was hardly recognizable. His hair was raven black rather than the indigo he regularly sported. He was taller, and his chest had grown. Max still had a strong chin and small freckles across his nose, but his eyes were a hazleish-yellow rather than purple. He could change certain aspects of his appearance due to being a metamorphmagus, but he had changed by time, not by magic. Rose gripped him tightly around the waist and hugged him.

He forced her into the bench opposite and waited for what she couldn't figure out.

"What?" she gasped.

"Catch your breath," he replied patiently.

She hadn't realized how much she was panting and did pause to take a steadying breath. Max watched her with his head on his elbows.

"Are you alright?" he asked unexpectedly with a quizzical look.

"Besides jumping into a moving train, yeah, I'm fine," she replied.

"No, I mean, you have something on your mind," he emphasized.

This wasn't the first time he gave Rose the impression that he could read her emotions. Did she wear her feelings on her sleeve so much?

Before she could respond, the compartment door was flung open, and Illya with his gang swung through. Illya immediately pulled Rose from her chair and hugged her.


	3. Janus

"I thought you didn't make it!" he said. "We ran to the back of the train to catch you there."

Rose could see from under Illya's arm, Max watching with furrowed eyebrows and a befuddled expression. She mouthed the word, _what?_ before Rose backed away.

"Yeah, uh, Max caught me just after," he said, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"Good on you, mate," said one of Illya's Hufflepuff companions, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Quite an entrance," said another.

The compartment door reopened and Al, Scorpius, and Olivia squeezed in, making everyone very cramped; Al held his guitar to his front as though it were an infant.

"It's a little tight in here," said a very Netherlands accented friend, and he scooted out followed by the rest of the gang.

"Be careful, Rose," said Illya before backing out and leaving the compartment.

Albus, Scorpius, and Olivia all sat on the benches and slouched to get comfortable.

"So, we're sitting here now?" asked Al.

"You were a load of help," said Rose testily.

"For what?" Al asked. "We've been looking for you ever since Max burst from our compartment."

Rose briefly grazed being flung into the train window. The others listened interestedly.

"You could have died!" Scor voiced.

"Out of all the stunts we've done, that's what could have killed me?" Rose asked, slightly amused.

The train finally emerged from the tunnel and into the biggest storm of the summer. Everyone in the compartment wouldn't have even noticed leaving the tunnel because just as little sunlight shone through, they knew because the train shuttered and tilted to the left as the wind whipped it violently. A couple of people in neighboring compartments squealed.

To Rose's surprise, for a long while, nobody brought the subject of conversation around to Sugamina. Rose didn't bring it up herself because she knew that once it was upon them, there was no stopping. Though, she would have preferred that subject over the one Max brought around.

"Rose, why did Vizzini seem so worried about you? He hardly knows you."

Olivia glanced up from the chocolate frog card she was reading to peer at Rose with a worried mixed with an interested expression.

"We wrote a bit over the summer," Rose replied stiffly. "He's just like a worried brother," she finished with a lie.

"But I thought you said he stayed at your place for a week or so," said Scorpius casually and very inconveniently.

Rose widened her eyes dangerously at him.

"Oh, uh," he started, but instead, turned red and continued scraping the frosting from his cupcake he had bought from the sweet trolley.

Max stared at Rose who had gone crimson with anger and dread.

"Come on boys!" said Olivia, standing up and taking Albus and Scor by the arms to heave them to their feet. "I want to see if I can get a Helima Windchester card instead." She dragged them from the compartment leaving Rose and Max in silence.

"I'm sorry, Max!" she called suddenly. "But we became friends from writing, and he wasn't going to make it to Hogwarts if I didn't let him stay for a while. He was very polite and, now we're friends," she finished and took a deep breath.

Max didn't look upset or as though he were about to tell her off. He only shook his head questioningly.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked calmly.

"Because I knew you weren't a fan of him and I didn't want you worrying or fussing, and I was afraid of what you would think," she hurried.

"Rose, you're my friend," said Max. "I'm not a dictator who will order you who to be friends with and who not to. If having him as a friend makes you happy, I'm not going to stand in the way of that."

Rose's chest deflated with an almighty sigh, and she shifted to his bench and hugged him.

"You're a good friend," she said.

The compartment door swung open again the Slytherins walked in.

"So, we're good?" said Albus.

The hours passed and the conversation was thin as most had taken to reading, Scorpius with his reading glasses over his nose which Rose thought made him look rather humorous. She looked up from " _Ezzy out of Element by Kat Danie_ " to investigate the scrapping noise coming from the cardboard box Scor had hoisted in the top rack near the beginning of their trip. 

"Scor?" Rose asked. "What's in the box?"

Scorpius looked at the container above his head and grinned.

"It's a surprise."

"Is the surprise supposed to be scratching?"

"Uh-hu."

The storm grew only more ferocious as their journey progressed through thick trees shaking ominously above, their branches scratching the engine sides. Rain hammered against the windows and Rose had to stop reading because the constant flashing of lightning gave her a headache. Instead, the group conceded to play cards. Scorpius continually make his hand of cards disappear and reappear when he needed them using muggle illusions. It was after giving up on a game Olly introduced and always won at called, Slap Jack, that they spotted third year Poppy Parkinson and seventh year, Fraunk, storm pass with a few of their clan called the Salazar's. The two ran a group of brutes that tortured Gryffindors and muggle borns. Sugar had had a particularly unfriendly relationship with the group. Rose would bet her broomstick that they were on their way to Sugar's usual prechosen compartment to piss them off.

They were humming a ghostly sounding version of the school song on as night veiled over the train turning the gray clouds and sky black. Al played electric riffs on his ten string, two neck guitar to their song. BAM! There was a flash of lightning as thunder rumbled outside and all the light on the train flickered and went out. Everyone was submerged in complete darkness. There were many girly screams from down the halls as the darkness washed over. The train rumbled onward in the dark. Rose stood to find her wand in a satchel on the top rack.

"Ow!"

"Sorry," she mumbled having stepped on someone's foot. "I just need to get up here."

Rose climbed on top of the benches to reach her bag.

"Rose," someone grunted in pain. "You're on my legs; the bench is right there."

"Woah!"

"Oh God, don't fall!"

"What are you trying to do?"

"I need to find my wand."

"Why? I like the dark."

"I think- watch out!"

"What just fell?"

"I don't know, something square."

"I can't find my bag. Max, can your reach? My arms are too short."

"Scor, get your foot away, your laces are sharp!"

"I'm all the way over here, Olly."

"Then what touched me?"

"Shhhh!"

"I found the box that fell. It has little holes all in it."

"Little holes? Let me see that! Oh no."

"AAAHHH!"

"Olly, shhh! Don't move!"

"It's on me! Oh my God, get it off!"

"You're gonna hurt him! Don't squish my dragon!"

"Your what?"

"My Komodo Dragon! Its names Demeter and Dionysus!"

"There's two?"

"No. One lizard, two faces. Ouch! Olly, stop thrashing! He'll scorch you!"

"What!"

The train gave a lurch and Rose, who had been standing now on the bench, clutching the rack above to stay clear of the dragon, slipped from the shelve.

"Ahhh! Mph!"

Luckily, she had landed on Scorpius who was on all fours, looking for his dragon that Olly had swung off her leg.

"A little light would go a long way!"

"My wand is in my trunk."

"And I can't put my guitar down; something will happen to it."

"Albus!" Rose called, her leg caught under Scorpius' stomach as she was uncomfortably stuck in the corner under the window.

"Fine!"

"Come here, Janus. Tututu."

CRASH

Al's guitar necks slipped from their upright positions on the bench to hit the window and smash it. Water came into the compartment in great torrents and incredibly fast making the water feel like hail.

"AAHHHH!"

"Fix the window!"

"My guitar!"

Rose spit water as she was still stuck on the floor under the window.

She screamed as the was a lighting flash and a loud crack as the tree that the lighting had split came falling. The tree missed their window, but sparks and small flames found their way in.

Something was thrown over her head making the water hit the item and roll off with the sound of being under an umbrella.

"I can't find it! I can't find my wand!"

"Reparo!" The rain stopped streaming through the window. "Lumos!"

Rose pulled Max red coat from her head to see Olivia with her wand raised and paralyzed in fear as a very large lizard clung to her robes across her chest.

Scorpius stood from the ground making Rose fall the rest of the way to the rug. Scor took the lizard from Olly and pulled it close. Olivia looked traumatized. She was breathing rapidly and clutching her heart in one hand and her wand in the other.

Everyone was soaked to the bone, not like they were unused to this; last year had been spent more wet than dry. Scor stroked his dragon's spiked back plates and whispered cooingly to it.

"Oh my God," said Max, leaning close to the lizard.

The thing had two heads, one of which was smashed uncomfortably with crossed eyes and its tongue hanging from the side of its mouth. The other head looked more glamorous.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked.

"I rescued the poor thing from a Magical Menagerie. It's a muggle's lizard. Wizards found it and experimented on the poor thing. Now it has two heads, can spit fire, and turned purple on Tuesdays."

"Your dad let you get that?"

"He wasn't too pleased, but it was my Birthday present. I said it was either Janus or a white ferret."

"Janus? I thought you said its name was-"

"I call them Janus, like how you guys think it's clever to call Al and I Scorbus."

"Alcor," Rose corrected.

"This one is Dionysus," he pointed at the squashed-faced one. "Because it's screwed up looking and acts drunk. The other is Demeter."

"Who cares?" They looked at Olly who dropped her lit wand to the floor and was forcing herself further into the corner of the compartment. "It shredded me up!"

She removed her robe to show them a couple of small scratches like paper cuts across her arms.

"It didn't mean to," said Scor. "It was just scared. The way you were acting, I would have thought it was a real dragon. Are you afraid of lizards?"

"Reptiles," she grumbled with her arms crossed.

Scor laughed. "Reptiles? But you're-"

"In Slytherin! I know, how ironic, right? She's afraid of her own houses mascot. It's not like she had a bunch of brothers who snuck snakes into her pillow case or chased her with lizards, right?" Olly finished angrily and crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry, Olly," said Scor. "But, he's not dangerous as long as you don't touch his left ear. You wanna hold him?"

"No, I do not!"

"He's okay, really. Here, I'll make him go to sleep." Scorpius flipped the lizard and scratched its belly. The thing immediately flopped over in his hand, Dionysus with his tongue farther from his mouth than ever.

"I'm still not touching it."

"Rose, you wanna grab a seat?" said Max who was watching her still on the floor with his coat draped over her shoulders.

"No thanks," she replied. She was quite warm under Max's jacket, and her leg hurt too bad to move anyway. There had been a crack in her leg when Scorpius stood, and she didn't feel like she could stand without limping into a chair. She had this leg broken before by Max's murderous mother in Elvinshire, Scotland at the end of her first year and had been having problems with it since. She didn't want Scor to know he cracked her leg; he would feel terrible.

Albus was fussing with his guitar to be sure there were no scratches and spent ten minutes retuning it. He finally sighed and slipped it back into his case before glancing around the compartment.

"Oh my God!" he called at Janus on Scorpius' lap. "It has two heads!"


	4. Scamander Sorting

A small, faint glow caught the eye of the children from the window. Rose lifted herself onto her good knee as everyone else scooted closer to the mended glass and audibly sighed. There it was. In the distance, on a vast cliff, stood Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Stone walls flanked the exterior. Hundreds of windows of every shape and size glowed orange flickering while many turrets and towers grew from the sides of the structure. The Black Lake was active with the movement of the rain and the moon wasn't visible in the sky.

Rose grinned at her friends in excitement. Max pulled a long strand of wet hair from her face to be tucked behind her ear. He often did this because she never noticed it. They sat back on the benches which squelched from the water it harbored. Rose could hardly stay still with the excitement of school and the feast ahead. But she was forced to stay still because much movement pained her.

The train screeched, louder than usual, to a stop. Though the power remained out, bright lights shone from each student's wand tips as they shoved to get off the train. Everyone in her compartment stood except for Rose.

"Come on," Olly encouraged.

"You go on with the boys," said Rose. "I have to fix my shoe. Go on." She nodded at Olly who was watching concernedly.

Olly took the boy's arms and squeezed through the compartment door to be devoured by the crowds.

"Max," Rose breathed, now finally able to bare her teeth and gasp in pain.

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, bending to the floor.

"I need your help," she said. "Max, I can't walk." She had tried shifting her leg, but it was as though her muscles tensed up and she had an excruciating Charlie horse.

"What happened?" he asked.

"When I fell, something snapped," she sighed. "Just, will you help me up?"

Max fitted her arm around his neck so she could be hoisted to her foot.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he asked.

"Oh! Oh no, I'm fine!" she hurried, how embarrassing that would be on her for poor Max; she was a lot heavier than she looked. "I'll manage."

He swung open the compartment and started slowly from the doorway. Students were still shuffling past, jostling them on either side. Rose was trying to act casual, but it was painful. One Ravenclaw boy tripped over her elevated leg and cursed before stomping off.

Max bellowed at the boy as his black curls began to turn crimson. Rose had fallen when the Ravenclaw boy did, and Max lifted her off both feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked, turning red as Max carried her the rest of the way from the train to step out into the freezing rain falling like a shower head's.

"Jerks," he mumbled, with a sideways scowl at the Ravenclaw. "Let's get you onto a carriage."

All second years and above travel to school by means of a carriage pulled by invisible thestrals which were skeletal black leathery horses only seen by those who have witnessed a death that had affected them permanently. Max took Rose to the very last carriage as the others were already taking off. He pushed her into the cart where she fell to one of the seats. Max climbed through next, soaking wet as Rose still had his coat on her shoulders. The carriage was already occupied by a couple second year Hufflepuffs.

"Hey'a," said the young boy.

"Are you okay?" said the brunette girl beside him.

"I'll live," Rose smiled weakly.

The carriage rumbled down the muddy slope toward Hogwarts. Rose listened to the other Hufflepuff children chat about the elves. It seemed like they planned on ditching the feast to help prepare it. Rose remembered when she had done that last year at the end of term feast. She and her friends had joined half the Hufflepuff house in helping the elves who were behind. Rose had spent the evening with Illya breading chicken and at the end of it all, they had stayed in the kitchens to eat and clean, and celebrate with music and dancing.

It was difficult getting out of the carriage when it finally stopped before the entrance of the castle. Max helped her down of course, but she wouldn't let him carry her which would have been faster. Rose hobbled toward the doors with the great crowd.

"Ew! Don't do that!" said a Ravenclaw fourth year to Gryffindor, Elvy Balimp, who was standing in the rain with his mouth open for a drink as the crowd waited in traffic.

"Why not?"

"Because it has hardly rained at all this summer. That means that this rainfall is collecting the bacteria and dust and dirt from the sky and washing it to the ground. You're drinking someone else's body fluids right now."

Rose hobbled pass the spitting Hufflepuff to make her way toward the front and find her friends. Knowing Olly, she would have drug Scorpius and Al to the front. But stupidly, she realized that she had lost Max and was starting to waver on her good leg which was incredibly tired. Rose tried to limp forward, but fell to the side and squeaked slightly before hitting something boney with a sickening scent of flowers. Like someone tried to cover the smell of body odor with a lot of perfume. Rose had staggered into Poppy Parkinson, the third year Slytherin girl who was short but stumpy and had shaved the side of her head. Poppy's face more resembled a bulldog as her chin was square and her cheeks hung off it slightly. A hard blow hit Rose in the chest and she was thrown off to slam into more students behind.

"Ugh!" Poppy screeched, wiping her robes as though Rose was something slimy. "You dare touch me?" she hissed.

"Believe me, Parkinson," said Rose bitterly, heat surging through her face. "I wouldn't touch you unless it was a complete mistake. Contact by obligation."

Some Gryffindor Rose had never spoken to had her under the arms so she could talk to Poppy and not be trampled by the crowd slowly making their way into the entrance hall.

"You have a death wish, Weasley," said Poppy, with her wand clutched in her hand as though she were ready to start a duel right there.

"You do too if you're planning to jinx her in front of everyone," Rose spun to see the same hazel-eyed girl that had smiled at her on the platform, nearing with her wand in her fingers. Rose noticed that the girl was wearing first year robes though clearly being older than eleven, and she had an American accent. "Half the people you're surrounded by are Gryffindors and won't hesitate to send you straight to the hospital wing."

Poppy snarled at the girl with deep dislike, but the girl waited with a small smile cast confidently across her face. Parkinson tucked her wand away and disappeared into the muttering crowd saying, "Scum."

Rose was staring at the girl with a good few questions on her mind. The first escaped her lips without consent.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm new, nice to meet you," The girl smiled again and shook Rose's hand. The shake was brief and Rose had an odd sort of cold sweep through her with it. "I best move on," she said. "I'm being sorted today but am too old for the boats. I think I'm supposed to meet in the side room, excuse me."

As soon as the girl was out of sight, Max swept Rose from the Gryffindor's arms.

"Thank God," The Gryffindor who had been holding Rose sighed and held his sore arms.

"What were you doing? You can hardly walk on your own," scorned Max, finally emerging into the entrance hall.

"I was looking for-" she stopped to stare around the castle foyer.

Marble floor lay beneath their feet. A grand staircase set before them with passages on either side leading to varies part of the castle. A vast crystal chandelier swayed above, illuminated by hundreds of candlesticks while the warmth that the fire and tapestries contained, calmed Rose's shivers from the rain. Every student was heading toward a pair of magnificent doors which led to the great hall where the sorting will commence and the feast will be had. But she found herself being steered away from the cheerful voices and barking students as Max drug her into a small side room beside the staircase with a small desk, a couple wooden chairs, candlelight, and books and files along the walls.

"Max?" Rose asked, perplexed. "What are you doing? The feast is that way."

"You can hardly walk, Rose. We're getting that leg looked at," he replied matter-a-factly.

"Are you going to heal it?" Rose asked, suddenly excited.

They had learned in their previous year that Max had the ability to heal other people by touch. Though, so far, it had only worked on her.

"No," said Max. "That'll take a night to heal; I'm getting the Matron. I'll be right back."

He left the room, leaving Rose to sit by herself and stare around at the walls in the low light. She could hear familiar voices from outside the doors. The Flock, which consisted of her cousins, Fred and Roxanne, and their friends, Cian Garner, Fritz Nutter, and Ortho Truette were chatting about radioactive clams it seemed. Well, all she had gotten out of the snippet of their conversation was, " _But if we mix hydrogen with the balishmial powder it will become radioactive and the clams won't stand a chance, or they'll have a reaction, grow to the size of two combined humans and leak saliva on in our dormitory. Unless… hey Cian, if that happens, can we store the clam in your dormitory, it's larger anyway."_

 _"_ _Yeah, sure."_

Rose then heard her Quidditch team walk pass. Their captain, Rocky, was gruffly discussing training tactics while the rest of the team was trying to get him to shut up until the second week of term when that would actually be important because they won't remember a thing he's saying when the time arrives to imply them.

Five minutes later, the chatter outside stopped as everyone had made it into the great hall. Rose was just considering making a break for it, when the door swung open and Max reentered followed by the Matron, Madam Pomfrey, and the Gryffindor head of house, Professor Dalbert which the children had learned just last year had been the fifth Marauder of the Weasley-Potter family legendary Marauders.

"Professor Dalbert?" Rose said excitedly, sitting up from having been slumped in the wooden chair. She really liked the Professor, and if Neville didn't teach Herbology, she would say that he was her favorite at Hogwarts.

"I heard one of my students were injured," he said, taking a seat on the small desk while the Matron bustled around to examine Rose's knee.

"It's not that big of a deal, it was only a small pop," she tried to assure them. "I think it's simpy- HOLY HELL! OW!" Rose accidentally purposely slapped Madam Pomfrey's hand away as she had jabbed her wand at the side of Rose's knee making her bone feel as though it slipped from socket and punched her inside flesh.

"I think we've found the problem," said the Matron. "Dear, your kneecap has slid out of place. Also, you have a nasty knot."

"Can you fix it?" Rose asked nervously, thinking that a dislocated kneecap would be painful to mend.

"I can, but it won't feel pleasant. Perhaps we could take this to the infirmary?"

"No!" Rose called. "I don't want to waste time. If you can fix it, please, do it now."

Madam Pomfrey seemed hesitant, but Rose gave her an imploring look. "Very well," said the Matron. "Put this in your mouth." She handed Rose a handkerchief to put between her teeth. Madam Pomfrey raised her wand above Rose's leg.

Rose quickly snatched Max's hand and held tight.

CRACK!

Rose screamed muffled through the handkerchief as her kneecap sprung back in place. She had seen the bone move and was quite disgusted. Luckily it was Max beside her and not Scorpius. Scor would have puked.

Madam Pomfrey took Rose's leg and shuffled it around, bending it to be sure all was in order. Everything felt back in place, but the Charlie horse cramp still remained.

"That should take care of that," said Pomfrey. "As for a knot, I will need a medicine. If you wait here, I will fetch it for you."

"Please, Madam Pomfrey!" Rose begged. "My cousin is being sorted today! I don't want to miss it! I can survive this knot until later."

"You must not put your health on a back burner, miss Weasley," said Pomfrey with her eyebrows raised. She was a very strict woman, having had this job nearly her entire life. She was extremely old but never showed it.

"Please, Ma'am," Rose pleaded.

Pomfrey considered Rose for a moment, then sighed. "Very well, you will head out for the sorting and I will bring your medicine shortly. But don't eat anything until you take the draft."

Rose thanked the Matron and bounded from the chair, now only with a small limp and only slightly needing Max's hand for support. The great hall was immaculate. Four house tables stretched through the entire room with the four house banners flanked by the four house mascots above each. A badger over a yellow and black banner for Hufflepuff, an Eagle before blue and bronze for Ravenclaw, a lion with red and gold for Gryffindor, and a serpent coiled over green and silver for Slytherin.

Thousands of candles floated flickering in midair beneath an enchanted ceiling which displayed the sky outside. Tonight, thunder crashed down while rain poured from the ceiling hitting no students as it fell. A clan of first year students waited before the teachers table. One girl had the sorting hat over her eyes as the whole hall waited to see which house she would become. Everyone turned in their seat to stare at Rose and Max as they walked in. The door had cracked loudly when it was shut making the completely silent hall lose interest momentarily to the sorting. Rose turned red and quickly slipped her hand out of Max's before tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and finding an open seat on the Gryffindor bench beside prefect, Jack Wilkins.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted, making Rose jump as the Ravenclaw girl bounded up from the stool to give the hat back to Professor Donima who was doing the sorting since Dalbert was momentarily absent, and skipping to be welcomed by the cheering Ravenclaws.

"Kernal, Popkin!" called Donima, consulting a scroll in her hand.

"Slytherin!"

Rose felt slightly sorry for the boy. How much teasing he would receive in that house for having a name like Popkin Kernal.

Rose waited until sorting ceremony finally reached the 'S.'

"Lily, Petter!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Scamander, Lysander!"

Lysander Scamander, the son of Rolf and Luna Scamander and the friend of the entire Weasley-Potter family, stepped up toward the three-legged stool and took a seat before placing the hat on his head where it fell over his eyes. He looked much like his mother. His eyes were bright blue and protuberant. He had yellow hair and fair skin, and inherited his mother's superstitions. Though, he took on his father's firm build, muscle stature, and easy-going attitude. Also, he had taken on his father's interest in magical beast, therefore, he had many scars across his arms and face.

The hat was on his head for a minute and a half before it shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!" This didn't surprise Rose. His father was a Hufflepuff, and you couldn't meet anyone more hardworking than the Scamander boys.

"Scamander, Lorcan!"

Lorcan Scamander, the inseparable twin of Lysander, stepped up and took the hat over his yellow hair.

He took much longer to sort. Lysander was sitting at the Hufflepuff table with his nails in his mouth, waiting.

"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. The Gryffindor table cheered, but Rose didn't.

They couldn't be separated! They would never get anything accomplished! Though, unlike everyone else who had stepped up, Lorcan didn't retreat from the stool to join Gryffindor. When the hat was lifted off his head by Donima, he took the hat back out of her grip and slipped it back over his eyes.

The entire hall hushed. Nobody had every done that before. What was even more surprising, was when the hat cleared its throat and shouted,

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lorcan handed the hat back to a shocked Donima and strode confidently to his brother who had collapsed on the table.

The Gryffindor table stared in awe. It would have taken a true Gryffindor to look the almighty, all knowing sorting hat in the cloth interior and say, "Nope." But it would also take a Hufflepuff to be so loyal to their brother. Rose began to laugh out loud and soon, the rest of the table did too.

"Uh, Sewelen, Dexter!"

The sorting continued until,

"Potter, Lily!"

A few murmurs were heard as the name 'Potter' was legendary.

Lily stepped up to the bench, looking rather frightened. Her vivid red hair was shielded by the hat that fell over her head. She held her legs pigeon toed and tapped her fingers against her knees as she waited. Albus was craning his neck from the Slytherin table to see and the oldest Potter, James, was doing the same from Gryffindor.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table erupted in more applause as Lily removed the hat and skipped down, beaming. The Scamander boys stood up and hugged her as she was warmly welcomed to her new home. Rose smiled. Lily was going to get a good amount of attention in that house, partly because she was a Potter, partly because she was beautiful, and partly because she was the first Potter in Hufflepuff since Euphemia.


	5. Dahlia Zzyra

The sorting was nearly finished. After 'Yalazo, Yazmine' became a Ravenclaw, only the hazel-eyed girl remained.

Donima held up the scroll and grazed the very last name.

"Zzyra, Dahlia!"

The girl stepped up to the stool and twiddled her wand in her fingers. She was mumbling which wasn't uncommon; many students had conversations with the hat. It took a long while where the hat flinched a lot which was less common. Rose thought, perhaps, the hat had trouble with older students.

Finally, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table all stood and cheered as Dahlia took a seat beside Daniel Rodriguez.

In the middle of the teacher's table, in a throne-like chair was a senior man with a short brown beard and a pipe in his mouth. He stood from his chair with robes of a humble brown. He looked like a blacksmith in the styles he wore. Rose thought that this quite suited him as she knew he aspired to be an inventor. Professor Kemp, the Headmaster, raised his arms, and the hall went silent to listen.

"I would like to welcome all of our newest students to Hogwarts, and I hope that you will feel welcome while you are here and excepted by your housemates. I know that you are all hungry and want me to shut up so that you can eat, partly because I want to eat too, partly because the look is etched all over your faces. So, I will cease to bore you with my droning and allow you now, to eat!"

With the last word, a magnificent feast appeared across the table and was attacked. Rose almost felt sorry for the food as it was thrown across the table. She looked toward the teacher's table. The half-giant, Hagrid, sat at the end just as hairy as ever, but as massive. Tiny Professor Flitwick of Charms sat beside him, elevated in his chair to reach the table. Then plump Professor Donima of Transfiguration, skinny Professor Killpii of Potions, and the ghost teacher, Professor Binns of History of Magic floated mournfully at his spot, not being able to eat anything. But Rose couldn't find Madam Pomfrey. She was still waiting for the medicine, not being able to eat anything until it was taken.

Rose stared at her empty gold plate, and her stomach growled. Max wasn't eating anything either. He was staring intently toward Dahlia Zzyra with a look of puzzlement on his face.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, watching Dahlia now too.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "She's unhappy."

Dahlia just laughed hysterically at something Andrew Hubtern said while peppering her roast potatoes.

"She looks perfectly cheerful to me," said Rose.

"Well, she's not. Something weighing heavily on her," Max replied.

"How do you know?"

Max shrugged.

"Well, lets go talk to her." Rose had nothing better to do, so, she picked up her plate and made for Dahlia.

Samuel Moore moved across the bench to allow room for Rose and Max to sit.

"Hello, Dahlia."

Dahlia jumped and dropped her fork. She stared at the two of them in what appeared to be shock.

"We wanted to meet you and formally welcome you to Gryffindor," said Rose cheerfully.

"What was easy?" Max said.

"What?" said Dahlia.

"You said that was easy."

"No, I didn't."

"But, you-"

"She didn't say anything, Max?" said Rose in puzzlement. _'Are you alright?'_ she mouthed to him. He shrugged and looked at his plate.

"Dahlia," Rose started again. "My name is Rose Weasley. So, why are you starting Hogwarts so late?"

Dahlia smiled. "Well, actually, I'm American. I transferred from the American Wizarding school, Illvermorny. My father has taken a job here in Britain, so we had to move. I'm thirteen."

"So, are you going to start in third year? Or first?" Rose asked.

"I've already received two years of magical education, so I'll be starting in third. I shouldn't be too far behind."

"Well, we're happy to have you here." Rose looked where Dahlia was staring to find Max. He was shuffling food around his plate, not eating anything. "Oh, this is my friend, Max."

Max stretched out a hand which Dahlia took. Rose noticed through candle light that Max's hair shone indigo when he nodded. So it wasn't black.

"Are you looking forward to your third year at Hogwarts, Max?" Dahlia asked.

"Sure," he shrugged again. "They haven't all been jolly, but it's better than being home."

"Do you not have a good home life?"

"It's complicated."

"I have time."

"I'm not telling my life struggles with a complete stranger," Max snapped rudely.

Rose widened her eyes at him warningly. He took a swig from his goblet. Dahlia smiled grimly and got back to her food.

Rose, frustrated, stood from the table.

"What are you doing?" Max asked.

"I'm going to find Madam Pomfrey," she huffed. "I'm starving and want that medicine."

But at that same moment, the Matron came hurrying into the great hall with a bottle in her arms.

"Sorry, Miss Weasley," she rushed, pouring a swig of purple liquid into a small shot glass and thrusting it into Rose's hand. "I swear, Peeves will have it from me."

Peeves was a poltergeist and a complete menace that enjoyed creating chaos and thrived under panic.

Rose thanked Pomfrey and gulped the draft down, then spit it back up partly due to the taste, partly because she remembered what this draft was. She and her classmates had scrapped a film from the belly of an organ type of plant in Herbology and Rose had looked up its use after class to find that it was used in medicine for treating tight muscles and knots. Her spit covered Tyler Garner, James Potter's best friend, who was sitting across from her. He stared incredulously at his cloak covered in spit and stared back at Rose who was covering her mouth, red-faced.

Luckily, Tyler didn't get to blow up because just then, all the food disappeared from the table to be replaced by sweets and puddings which acted as a sufficient distraction. Rose's heart fell, she was really looking forward to the turkey loaf that had been steaming in front of her. Max plopped a slice of key lime pie onto her plate.

"Max, I've never really liked, key-"

"Just try it," Max rolled his eyes. "It's incredible."

He was right, not only that, but everything Rose ate that night was amazing and probably extremely unhealthy. Dahlia didn't talk much it seemed, but she was receiving much attention.

"What's that for?" Rose asked as Dahlia slipped several colorful pills into her hand.

"They keep me from getting nose bleeds," she said casually. "The change in area, in bacteria gives me nose bleeds. These help reduce them." She swallowed them with a swig of pumpkin juice.

"I'm sure the Matron would have something to fix that," said Max shortly.

"I don't really like Doctors," she replied.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked as Dahlia stood from the table.

"I'm going to bed. The pills usually make me sick," she called behind her.

"But you don't know the way!"

"I studied this castle for days back home; I know where everything is," she said.

"But the password-"

"Wilkins told me! See ya, Weasley!"

"She's interesting," said Rose after a moment.

"She's kind of weird," said Max.

"You were awfully rude to her."

"I don't know, I just feel uneasy around her," Max cringed.

"Well, that's not her fault. Don't show it so much." Rose had taken a sip of punch before all of the food and beverages disappeared from the tables once again, but it wasn't replaced.

Professor Kemp stood from his chair, and the chatter slowly died away as they were about to be dismissed.

"I have a few notices!" called Kemp, slipping a thick pair of round mechanical glasses with many lenses over his nose and consulted a scroll. A few students in the hall sniggered as his eyes were magnified to twice their usual size. "Yes, uh, Mr. Filtch, our caretaker, asks that no magic is used in corridors, that students do not have fun whilst out of their common room and, I quote." He twisted his glasses so that his eyes grew larger. 'Stop stunning my cats or I'll bloody hang you by your toes in my office and cherish your cries.'" Kemp allowed himself a small smile. "I will, of course, not let that happen. But I do ask for whoever is responsible for stunning Flitches cats to please stop. An unhappy Filtch is a punished student. On a more serious note." Rose smiled to herself. By "On a more serious note," he meant that he didn't think of Filtch's notices to be important.

Everybody hated Filtch. He was an ancient caretaker who had no magic and hated all else who did.

"We ask that no student goes near the Whomping Willow or the forbidden forest because you could die. Also, a new notice, we are available to have full reign of the lake across the courtyard, but we are no longer allowed near the lake weeds on the West side as the merpeople are quite on edge since the happenings of last year. You all remember the search of the school for the missing mermaid? Yes, well, they are not playing games, children. Stay clear of them. Hogwarts is safe as long as you abide by the rules. If you do not, we cannot keep you safe." The hall became deadly quiet as everyone stared at the serious look in Kemp's super magnified eyes. "Anyhoo, Quidditch tryouts will be held during the second week of term, also, music auditions will be held on the same day. Professor Flitwick is recruiting a few helpers to spice up our already fantastic choir. If you would like to audition, please speak to him. I would like to announce a very serious change in staffing this year. Madam Hooch, our Quidditch coach and referee, has retired to live a, well, I would say quiet life, but if you knew Hooch, you would know she's going to party. She's now in Iceland. We are honored to announce who will fill her place as Quidditch coach. The Keeper for Puddlemere United and our very own previous Gryffindor captain, Oliver Wood!"

Wood stepped out from the side room to take a seat at the teacher's table. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. He was rather burly and stout. Muscles were visible on his arms and neck, and he had a look of stern determination on his face. Half of the hall gasped as Oliver sat. Rose grinned from ear to ear. He was her uncle Harry Potter's Quidditch captain and friend at Hogwarts. Rose glanced to the Slytherin table to see Al grin at her. She was upset for Madam Hooch to be leaving, but Wood would make an excellent replacement.

"I believe that is all. I'm sure that I will remember something that need be said as soon as you're dismissed, but such is life. Now, we shall sing our school song; then first years will follow their heads of house to your new homes for a good night of rest and classes tomorrow. Pick a tune, and sing along."

Professor Kemp conjured glittering words into the air with his wand and cleared his rough voice to begin.

" _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts,"_

The hall began. Though, something was different. The audience all sang at different tunes and quoted lyrics at separate moments, but there was a fun twanging in the air. Rose looked around to find Al, on his knees over the Slytherin bench with his Electric Snighter guitar, playing on the second neck with a wild look in his green eyes. Scorpius drummed on the table to Al's tune. Somehow, Rose couldn't explain, the misstructure of the music took a curve where all voices began singing to the tune Al was ringing. Including Rose who hadn't noticed she was doing it. Albus finished with a loud, _Bowowowowowowwwwwooooo!_

Everyone watched him smile accomplished and tuck the instrument back into his case. Tiny Professor Flitwick skipped over to Albus and whispered something in his ear. Al looked confused and slightly nervous as he followed the Professor out of the hall. He wasn't about to be punished for interrupting the song, was he?

"Alright first years!" Rose turned to see the blonde curly head of Cian Garner stand and announce across the table. "Follow me if you don't want to be left behind!"

A cluster of first years stood up nervously and followed her from the room. Rose and Max took the short cut to Gryffindor tower. The Flock took the first years up the stairs and every year delivered a speech on the moving portraits along the walls, the ghosts, the moving staircases, the trip steps, and the poltergeist. Rose had received the notice twice now and simply wanted to get to her dormitory quickly so she could find a place to hide her stuff where her infuriating roommate, Mary Pye, couldn't find and steal it.

"Where's Zzyra sleeping?" Max asked as they trotted up a secret staircase hidden behind a tapestry of drunken fairies.

"In one of the girl's dormitories," Rose answered obviously.

"But they're all full. If she's sleeping there, then either someone was expelled, she'll get a room to herself, or someone's double-bunking," Max said.

"I hope Danielle was expelled," said Rose dreamily.

Danielle Daniels was Rose's least favorite roommate and was an intense stalker of Max. She had attempted to sneak him a love potion in their previous year, and she and Rose had gotten into a brawl, assisted by Mary who sided with Danielle.

"I just hope Zzyra isn't roomed with anyone I know," Max muttered which echoed through the passage they now emerged into.

"Why not?"

"I told you, I feel uncomfortable around her, uneasy,"

Rose studied her shoelaces as she walked. "Well," she thought. "You are getting older and, you know, hormones. Dahlia is very pretty. Perhaps you're just attracted to her. Your unease could very well be that you like her."

"Yeah," Max said slowly. "That's defiantly not it. I don't trust her."

"Open your mind a little," Rose slid down a seventy-foot banister. "You need to be more trusting."

"My mind is open, Rose. I don't see the world as good people who do bad things."

"I don't see the world like that. There are no good or bad people, just people who make good or bad choices."

"No, there are bad people."

Rose said nothing else of it as they finished their trip. She was foolish to say that. Of course, he believed in bad people. He was tortured for extraction at a very young age. He brother was kidnapped and held hostage. He was ransomed by his own mother and mistreated by his father and stepmother. Of course, he would have trust issues when someone like your own mother hurt him and his brother. He was experimented on by doctors under his mother's orders. She was dying and needed his healing powers. For it was his mother who bestowed them upon him in the first place. It was his mother who stole the draft from the Ministry of Magic and stored it in her unborn child. And it was his mother that hunted him down. She had kidnapped his twin brother, Will because she couldn't get Max. After long last, she had found him and used Will as ransom that Max had attempted to pay. Rose was caught along the way and met the murderer. Belladonna Drury caused much damage on the both of them. It was by Professor Dalbert rescuing them that they didn't both die. But they both knew that Belladonna wasn't finished. She still had Will, and she would indeed be back at some point in time for Max. Neither knew how she was going to try, but both were terrified.

It seemed that their shortcut had them arrive at Gryffindor tower before the first years or anyone else. When the password was uttered to a portrait of a fat woman in a pink silk gown, the frame swung forward allowing the two to scramble inside the common room. Gryffindor tower was like stepping into a hot bath on a winter day. A fire blazed behind the great, a tapestry of a roaring lion hung above the mantel. The walls were red as were the sofas and pillows. Portraits hung along the walls, and the contents inside nodded welcoming to them.

Rose sighed deeply and whiffed a familiar scent of campfires and warm cider. She flopped onto the couch and relaxed completely. She loved everything about her house.

"I'm ready for bed," she yawned.

"Then why don't you go to bed?" Max smiled softly as he sat on the arm of the sofa.

"It's so far away."

Max stood, took her hands, and lifted her from the cushion.

"Get to bed," he encouraged. "In about thirty seconds, every Gryffindor we have will be barging from that portrait hole."

Rose slumped against his shoulder and yawned again. She was truly too tired to walk up the steps for the girl's dormitories.

"You want to get up there before everybody else gets in here."

She yawned again and closed her eyes. His scent of the outdoors and mint relaxed her still more.

"Can't I just-?" she started, but Max pulled her off and began leading her to the stairs.

"No. You are getting to bed. Don't forget to check your timetables and set your alarm. I'll see you around eight." He nudged her up the first three steps and waited while she turned toward him.

"Are you going to act like my mom all semester?" she asked.

"Probably," he smiled, then pointed sternly to the stairs.

Rose finally retreated. Her common room was at the very end of the wall with a brass number '3' on the front and slender plaques bearing the names for who roomed there. Rose didn't bother to look at them. She already who her roommates were. She closed the door behind her and found that all of her luggage had already been brought up and her timetable waited for her on the bedside cabinet of the bed closest to the window with a view of The Black Lake. Rose changed, checked her timetable, set her watch to wake her up at seven-thirty, and was about to fall under her covers when something odd caught her ear. A faint humming from the bed opposite hers. Rose stepped toward it to find a large lump under the red comforter. Long brown hair hung from the sheets, and an unfamiliar trunk stood at the end of the bed. Rose pulled the covers back ever so slightly with the help of her delicate finger. The sleeping face of Dahlia Zzyra lay beneath the covers. Rose quickly dropped the blanket. _Why was Dahlia in her room?_

Her heart rose suddenly. That would mean that one of her roommates had been transferred! She was just about to run to the door, hoping to see the absence of the name Danielle Daniels on a plaque outside the door. But just as she reached for the doorknob, it had twisted, and a girl stepped through.

"Nolly?" Rose said in surprise.

Nolly Madison was a caramel-skinned, curly haired Gryffindor third year who Rose had hardly ever spoken to. Nolly had braided Rose hair out of her face in the commotion of the after fight of last year, and Watson Trout from Rose's Quidditch team had eyes for her.

"What are you doing here?" A horrible thought struck Rose. "Am I in the wrong room?" But then, why was her trunk here?

"No," said Nolly kindly, placing a small bag on the bed closest to the door. "I'm being moved to this room. It seems there's been a bit of changing. Perhaps Dalbert didn't want you rooming with Daniels and Pye anymore. But it's odd, I was sure that my friend, Hannah, was being moved here too, but it looks like the new girl is here instead."

"Mary's gone too?" Rose could hardly believe it. "Awe! The universe doesn't hate me!" She collapsed on her bed, and she supposed by next morning that she had fallen straight to sleep because she remembered nothing else.


	6. Septipools and Imfts

Rose had skipped from bed the following morning, and after tying her into a couple of buns on the side of her head, she jumped down the stairs. The Gryffindor common room was alive with activity. Half of the students had already gone down for breakfast; the other half were getting some morning games in before classes. Gryffindor had a large variety of board games and puzzles for early risers and procrastinators.

Rose stopped at one of the card tables to find Oliver, Owen, and Oscar (some of Olivia's brothers) playing exploding snap. Usually, Max was with them at this time.

"Hey boys," she said, leaning against Owen's chair. "How was your summer?"

"Great!" said Oscar. "We spent two weeks in Transylvania!"

"Really? Wow, I would love to visit. Hey, have you seen Max?"

Oliver pointed to the notice board beside the portrait hole. "He's getting chatty with the new eye candy."

Dahlia was talking to Max who had his arms crossed and was listening.

Rose hurried over and propped an elbow on Max's shoulder.

"Morning all!" she beamed.

"You seem cheerful," said Dahlia.

"Can you give me a reason not to be?"

"I never said there was anything wrong with it," Dahlia corrected somewhat testily. "Uh, how'd you sleep?"

"Great! Except, the owl, Cromwell, wasn't with me last night. I suppose he's now next door with his owner," Rose replied sadly.

"We should be getting to class," said Max quietly.

They turned to leave with their book bags when Dahlia called after. "Just think about what I said!"

The portrait shut behind them. "What did she say, Max?" Rose asked curiously.

"She just wanted to say that she didn't think we got off on the right foot last night and she wants to be friends," he replied indifferently.

"What'd you say?"

"I said 'sure' then you walked up."

"Losing a grip on your story-telling skills, aren't you?"

"There was nothing exciting about that story," said Max. "Do you think Scorbus has already visited Stella?"

"No," Rose replied. "They would have told us."

Max raised an eyebrow at her disbelieving.

Last year Albus and Scor had attempted to keep Stella a secret and had completely cut from the group and spoke little to her and Max. This had greatly up upset Rose and Max, Rose more so. Her trust had slipped through the bars with those boys. But in the end, through Max finally breaking and almost being drowned, the truth had been revealed. Lucky for them, Rose forgave easy. But she wouldn't be fooled into thinking that they would tell her everything again.

Scorpius and Al were seated at the Gryffindor table as usual. Rose slid beside them and grabbed herself a handful of cherries.

"Morning," she smiled.

"Good morning," Al replied, studying his timetable.

Scorpius nodded, having a mouth full of bread and not wanting to be rude by replying with sprayed food.

"Okay, so guess what?" Al started, looking excited over his sheet.

"What?"

"Professor Flitwick pulled be from the great hall last night and-"

"Oh, right!" Rose interrupted. "What happened?"

Al waited for a moment in mix puzzlement and amusement.

"Aaaand," he started up again. "He wants me to audition for the music!"

"That's great Al!" said Max.

"No, it's not!" barked Rose. "Music auditions are the same day as Quidditch tryouts, and Fred told me that the band would start playing at games! How do you expect to play music for the team while being on it?"

"I don't," said Al. "I'm dropping Quidditch."

"What!" Rose shouted. "But you can't! Half the Slytherins in the school would literally kill for a spot on the team, and you're in! Why would you give that up?"

"I want to do music, Rose! Quidditch may be your thing, but I want to play guitar."

"You just picked up that thing this summer! You don't know enough to be in a band!" said Rose.

"You're underestimating me," Al scowled. "I've always been a quick learner. If this doesn't work out, then you can laugh in my face and tell me you told me so."

"That's not what I want, Al. I just want to fly with you, and I don't want you making a mistake," said Rose.

"If this is a mistake, then it's on me. Let me make my own choices, Rose."

Rose glared at her cherries and wasn't hungry anymore.

"He's better than you're giving him credit for," Scorpius spoke up. "I don't know if you've heard him play properly; he has an ear for this."

"Looks like we have Herbology with you guys," said Max, completely unrelated. "And that's it until Tuesday when we have Potions. I would suggest you eat something more than cherries, Rose. We have a busy day, and you always get hungry."

Professor Flitwick was teaching them how to knit using magic. He said that it was important in the art of handless action. Rose found the task to be quite challenging. She had never been very good at knitting, why she was never asked to help with all the Weasley jumpers. Her yarn kept knotting up, and she couldn't get a grip on her needles. It was the equivalent of tying two brushes on the end of a broomstick and trying to paint a picture. Max was becoming very frustrated. In the end, it was only Dallas Hoban who had successfully cast on.

Transfiguration was as difficult as ever. Professor Donima had high expectation for them which must have meant that she either thought them capable of handling her task, or she found joy in their frustration and failure. Donima made them turn a hedgehog into a footstool. Rose hated working with live animals because she frequently disfigured them. Max loved working with animals. He was the worst at Transfiguration Rose had ever seen. Best case scenario in class, was if his magic did nothing at all. Otherwise, he was likely to be injured. Max listened to what Donima was saying and scribbled down all of her complicated notes, but when it came to casting, he didn't even lift his wand. Instead, Max played with the hedgehog and began feeding it cake crumbs.

The grounds outside was damp and windy from the previous storm. The grass was mud, and Rose was huffing as she had to yank her feet from the squelching puddles on her way to Herbology. A hand caught Rose's arm as she nearly toppled into the mud and Scorpius helped lift her out.

"This is infuriating!" said Rose with the sickening squishy feeling between her toes.

"It'll wash off," said Scor who hadn't released her arm. She used him now as a pillar to keep from falling. That correctly described Scorpius, she realized a pillar.

Max was having more difficulty but said nothing of it.

"Al?" Rose started as Albus now came into view. "When are we going to see Stella?"

"Later today, probably," Al replied distractedly. "She said she didn't want us around until she could clean up her cave, said it was a mess."

"Where's Olly?" asked Max.

"She's already in the greenhouse," Scorpius replied. "She flew through it. The ground didn't have time to break; she ran on top of it."

Greenhouse three was open for the students to fall through. Plants grew all along the walls, and a long oak table stretched across the room. The atmosphere was chilly and damp, the plants were covered in perspiration, and Rose's hair was beginning to frizz from her buns. Every student except for the quintet was buoyant with excitement. Each was glancing about the room, looking for something.

"What are you excited about?" Rose asked.

"Professor Neville is back! No more Supple!" a Slytherin girl cried.

"Oh, uh, no," Rose began. "Professor Neville won't be teaching until the second semester because Ava Alice is having breathing problems. They're watching her for a while."

The cheery atmosphere fell with a look of horror on everybody's face. The greenhouse door swung open again, and the fat and flaky looking Professor Supple strode in. He had a tuft of hair on his otherwise bald head that so resembled a patch of dry grass. His face was always blotchy, and his skin was dry. He gave little interest in teaching or in his students and always had the class doing disgusting jobs such as dissecting tongues, scraping fat from inside a gorge, or popping pustules. Everybody strongly suspected that he had them do his undesired chores.

"I hope you all are ready to work," he began in a bored and slobbery voice. "And I hope that Malfoy's stomach had thickened over the summer," he sniffed.

Scorpius was notorious for vomiting in his class, having a weak stomach and being pushed too far by Supple. He turned red and scowled at the table.

"Today, you will be changing out the water for the Screaming Septipools."

The Screaming Septipools that were in a glass bowl before each student looked like a giant zit whose roots grew white and spirally through a bowl of thick green water with bits of squashy something floating about.

"You will find water under the table for your Septipool. But be in mind that they are very picky about their water temperatures."

"Professor?" A Gryffindor girl raised her hand. "Why are they called screaming Septipools? They don't have mouths."

Supple looked at her as though she were a nuisance, as though it wasn't his job to answer questions or actually teach. He normally just gave a quick run-through of direction and left them to it. Without saying a word, Supple reached into the slimy water, took the Septipool by the roots, and pulled it out. The top of the milky white plant burst open causing a type of white goo to splatter on the surrounding students. The opening became a mouth that screamed and screamed until Supple dropped it back into the water.

The students who had been sprayed with the "puss" as Supple said it was, held their hands over their mouths and gagged profusely.

"Go ahead and begin," said Supple. "But be sure to scrub the bowl well before replacing the water, but you'll have to do it with one hand because you will have the Septipool in the other."

"How to we avoid getting pussed up," asked Scorpius, looking furious at Supple.

"You don't. Just, let it happen."

The task was revolting, and Scorpius had to do his bowl with his eyes shut, the floating bits were a bit too much for him. The water itself smelled of a rarely cleaned fish bowl. Apparently, the water had to be a precise temperature. The only way to find how close they were coming was to dip the Septipool's roots into the water and wait until it screamed a C sharp. Albus and Max could do this without a struggle; they were musically talented, but Rose had no idea how you could tell. It all just sounded like blood-curdling screams to her.

She was glad to leave the greenhouse an hour later and smelling of filth. The smell was so bad that Scor, Al, and Max were even willing to use Olivia's pomegranate lotion.

The lunch hour was spent in the showers. Rose and Max only made it for a couple of bites of stew before having to run back onto the grounds for Care of Magical Creatures.

Rose was excited about these extracurricular classes. Not only were the subjects interesting in themselves, but she got to spend all three of them with Al and Scor because since only select students had chosen such subjects, all third years who took the class, took it together. Rose would spend Care of Magical Creatures and Divination with Olivia, but she had signed up for Arithmancy rather than Muggle studies.

Max was beyond excited. He loved animals and couldn't wait to spend a whole hour with magical beasts.

The mud here wasn't as bad. A stone path led toward Hagrid's cabin where they would be having their class. The giant waited for them at his hut. He was the height of two combined men and had an intensely bushy beard and hair that grew brown and gray all over his head and face.

He beamed when they approached and clapped Al on the back, making him flail forward. "Happy ter 'ave yeh all here!" he announced to the surrounding crowd. "So, you wanna learn how ter take care of magical creatures, do yeh? Well, I've got quite a treat for yeh."

Rose was slightly nervous as he led them toward the forbidden forest behind his hut. Nothing good lingered there, and she knew about his fascination and love for monsters. Though, rather than being led toward a fanged mouth for spined back, they stopped at the edge of the foggy and ominous forest with only a large barrel before them. _Could the barrel perhaps contain fire crabs or some other beast?_ She found with closer inspection that it didn't; only combs and brushes, some chow and treats, lay inside.

Hagrid slipped his two large fingers into his mouth and whistled. Suddenly, a rumbling began from inside the forest. Some of the students had gone white and looked quite terrified. Looming from the shadows was a great mass moving at an incredible speed. Then, bursting from the fog, were around thirty calf-high, fluffy creatures, which ran straight at the student's legs and nuzzled compassionately.

"South African Imfts," said Hagrid delightedly. "These tiny creatures love attention and love to be groomed, so that is what you lot will the doin terday."

The Imft resembled a giant chinchilla, from its bushy tale to its soft gray fur and long twitching whiskers. Hagrid started them off easy, merely brushing the Imfts and pulling twigs and leaves from their fur. Each student was sitting on the grass with their animal curled up on their lap. Max was beside himself. He cuddled his Imft nearly the entire class and didn't take any of the notes Hagrid was giving them on the Imft's magical abilities or origin. The Imfts weren't very intelligent but somehow managed phrases now and then like, " _Ahh, that's the spot_." Or, " _A little to the left._ "

Max had attempted to steal his Imfts but was caught because of the basketball sized ball of fur purring under his cloak.

"I hope all lessons will be like that," Max sighed happily.

"I doubt it," said Scorpius. "He'll bring out monsters soon, probably."

Olly hadn't enjoyed the class. Her Imft continued to roll about in her lap, complaining about it being uncomfortable. She was covered in gray fur and was trying to pull it from her braid as they marched back to the castle.

The rest of classes that day were interesting and much more difficult. It was with a breath of satisfaction that the day was over for class. But Rose didn't get to relax or begin her large pile of homework. Instead, she and Max met Albus, Scorpius, and Olivia outside the oak front doors as the sky became streaked with orange. In was silence they walked toward an ivy covered stone wall. Max moved the ivy aside to cast a spell on the lock. With a bit of pushing to get the door over the overgrown grass, they emerged into the Hogwart's gardens. Peppers and strawberries wafted at them upon arrival and any stress that was on them from the tough day of classes or the thought of the homework they had, melted away.

Vegetables grew here in rich soil and amongst green grass. Further on were the orchards which grew fruit and nut trees. Spring was directly in front of them with willows and a babbling brook and waterfall. Then there was the summer season with large fields and ponds. To the left was where you could find Autumn, where pumpkins and swash grew along with certain nut trees and squirrels, it was also the entrance to a mine that led to the cellar where pumpkin juice was made; the passage also led to the kitchens. The friends spent little time in winter where the syrup was tapped.

The group started toward spring and nodded respectfully to the many elves working diligently around the fields. Al burst into a run as soon as the small waterfall was in sight. He ripped off his cloak but didn't bother to roll up his pants before wading into the shallow stream and diving under the waterfall. Albus was the closest to this mermaid and would do anything for her. Rose burst into a run as well. She was excited to be seeing Stella. She had written to Stella a couple of times over summer and had sent it to the house elf, Yoman, who delivered it to Stella who read it and had Yoman write back. This process was long and wet, Stella always got the return letter soaked before it was sent which was difficult to read. The most contact Rose had with the mermaid over summer was when she and Al had a sleepover and spent all night on the enchanted hand mirrors talking with Stella. She fell asleep on the other end sometime around four in the morning, and Rose hadn't talked to her since.

The water was pleasant when she stepped into it. Her wool socks slurped the liquid while she walked toward the pouring water from overhead. Rose ducked down and continued straight through. She had forgotten that the stream was deeper on this side and gasped as the water rose to her waist.

Something like a macaw screech sounded before Rose could wipe the water from her eyes and something wet and cold wrapped tightly around her.

"Stella!" Rose shrieked.

The mermaid pulled away and did a flip into the water, and she grinned happily. Stella had palish green skin and greenish hair that looked to be underwater even when it wasn't. It was tucked behind her small ears, and her large almond eyes were alight with excitement. Stella had hardly any nose and a thin mouth that was separated to reveal dazzlingly straight teeth. She had scars across her face from years of punishment from her people, and she wore a Slytherin sweater that was much too large for her and hung awkwardly over her waist where her silver fish tale swayed.

She swam gleefully around Max and Olly who emerged a moment later and tackled Scorpius under water as he stepped through. There was something about Stella's personality that made Rose smile.

"It's been so long!" she said. Stella had once been unable to speak above water at all. She had been taught and trained by Scor and Al and over the summer, now by Yoman. Her voice went from being gurgled water in her throat to now she sounded as though she were from somewhere in the islands. "I is waiting for you all summer. Please mind the mess; I is having difficulty cleaning." She spoke now in the same dialect that Yoman did.

The kids climbed onto a dock that Yoman had built against the cave wall. The dock contained dictionaries, thesauruses, English, and history. Crafts like beaded bracelets and basket weaving remained. Rose took a bracelet from a half-woven basket and gawked at it. It was yellow with magnificent shells and beads spiraling the band.

"Did you make this, Stella?" Rose asked. "This is beautiful."

"It is yours," Stella smiled. "I is making gifts for when you return, and I is choosing each to resemble you. Oh, hold on a moment." Stella snatched the bracelet from Rose hand and handed her a different one that was red with pearls embedded. She handed the yellow one to Scorpius instead. "I make each with the color of your hair," she explained.

Olly received a velvety black bracelet with minuscule blue beads glowing like gems. Max got a blackish indigo with tiny white pearls that covered the band to look like stars. Albus received a black wire bracelet with white fragments broken and tied around the band.

"It is the spearhead that cut you," she said softly, pointing to the broken pieces. "No more poison. Yoman found it in the sand, the whole spear was there, but he only brought back the head. He brought back all the supplies I needed."

"I've never seen anything like it," said Rose in awe.

"In my village, it is a great honor to wear such items. It means that you have won a mighty victory or are royalty. I make them for you because you have saved my life. You are heroes, and you are good people who are sacrificing so much for something as in-insig-uh," Stella stopped to take her dictionary. "Insignificant," she grinned. "as me."

Sugar stared at Stella. Rose was touched to find that Stella thought of her as a hero. She certainly didn't.

They spent the next few hours catching up. Stella went on and on about Yoman and how wonderful the elf is. Albus told her about what he had discovered from the Marauders book of Animagus and how close they were to begin the reverse process. Stella didn't seem at all afraid of the prospect of changing. They tried to warn her that it was very dangerous and that it had a high probability of failing, that she could really be hurt, but she just shook her head. Stella had faith in them beyond what they had in themselves. She made them feel as though they had more than a chance at success, that the answer was within reach.

Rose lay down in her bed after a second shower and curled up in her comforter, being frigid. Dahlia was already asleep, and Nolly had her acoustic guitar and was humming lyrics to the newest song she was working on while scribbling lyric ideas in her notepad with a quill in her curly black hair. Pamela sat up in bed, staring straight at Rose while reading braille; Rose tried not to be bothered by the staring, she knew Pam couldn't see her. Alexis was still in the second showers, being well known for taking forty-five minutes for the first lather and rinse.

She closed her eyes but was soon shocked back up at something moving under her covers. She threw the blanket off to find Mary's barn owl, Cromwell, staring guiltily up at her with his head tucked under his wing.

"Cromwell?" Rose whispered. "What are you doing in here?"

"Cromwell!" Rose heard the distant voice of Mary Pye from a nearby room outside the hall.

Rose scowled and tucked the bird under her arm and the covers.

"She'll never know," she whispered. Cromwell cooed and cuddled, and Rose fell asleep soundly.


	7. Tea Leaves and Foretelling's

"I have no idea what I'm looking at," said Rose, trying to read the map toward the Divination classroom.

"Well, we're here," said Max, scratching the back of his head with his wand and studying the map. "I think that swirly orb represents the Divination classroom, so, we're three floors, six trick steps, and one peeves away…"

"We should have left with Olly," Rose thought bitterly, as they skipped over a yellow-stone step.

A seventh year deeply submersed in books screamed as he landed on the trick step and fell through with a thick, "Blurp" sound like tar splashing.

Max and Rose turned to stare at where he disappeared. A few of his papers floated to the grown behind him.

"Is he gonna be-" Max started.

"I think that one leads to the dungeons, if he was heading to potions, he'd be fine." Rose gathered a couple of his school papers. "Ooh, Ancient Runes. Poor bloke." She dropped his papers on the step which gulped them down too and continued up the stairs.

Peeves was following Relctory with a tuba and giving a loud "BLURP" each time he took a step. Rose would have felt sorry for him if she didn't hate Relctory or if he hadn't tried to curse Albus with boils while he was asleep.

Rose and Max had to duck behind a suit of armor to hide from the devilish poltergeist, Peeves so that he wouldn't see them as fresh meat. It was with their seventh long staircase that the two emerged onto the landing, puffing and red-faced.

"This is rubbish," Rose huffed, wiping her hair from her eyes.

"Nearly there," Max tried to encourage, but his tone was weak.

Rose glanced around the passage as they came to a fork.

"Which way?" she asked, having given up on the map that wasn't helping them at all.

"Is today Tuesday? Then that'll be left." Max turned sharply and started down the left passage.

"What does Tuesday have to do with it?" Rose asked.

"Unfogging the Future," said Max, patting the violet book under his arm. "On days that begin with the letter 'T,' we are encouraged to listen to our first instincts."

"But my first instinct was to go right," said Rose.

"Yeah, but you asked a curly-haired boy which means that you waver under the influence of Mercury," he replied confidently.

"What a load of tosh," she shook her head in disbelief.

Max handed her the violet book. "It's all in the book."

"I recognize this passage," said Rose watching a painting of malice-looking mage's wearily as they eyed her go by. "We ran through here from Filtch after our library session last year. Remember? When Al was out?"

"I remember," he said. "Olly rammed Scor into that spiral staircase" He paused. "Speaking of which." Max began up the narrow winding stairs to emerge onto a very small landing.

"Huh," he said, looking around. "I had a feeling it was up here, but I guess-"

"Shhh," Rose pressed her finger against Max's mouth to silence him without thinking. A faint hum of voices was very close by.

"Are they ghosts?" Max whispered.

Rose's eyes traveled to the ceiling. Above them, was a round panel with a plaque that said, _Sybill Trelawney, Divination Teacher._

"But how do we get up there?" Max asked.

"Are you sure it's okay to ask a red-head? You're not going to turn into a toad tomorrow, right?" she said mockingly.

"Don't dis the book."

"Here, you'll hoist me up; then I'll pull you," Rose proposed.

"How about you push me up, and I pull you? It's easier to push than it is to pull."

"You don't think I can pull you?" Rose crossed her arms with raised eyebrows.

"You'll pull something, but it won't be me."

"How did everyone else get up?" Rose thought.

"Well, we are late, maybe the magical ladder or staircase or whatever is locked."

"Why don't we knock?" Rose asked. "To let everyone else know we're down here?"

"You can't reach."

Rose took, _Unfogging the Future,_ and threw it at the panel. The book slapped the ceiling loudly and thumped to the floor where Max swept it up looking abashed. From above, a glittering staircase descended from the panel and waited for them, shining silver and delicate.

"I may not be a Slytherin, but I am resourceful."

She hoisted herself into an upper room. It was rather awkward as her head poked up from the floor to find everyone and their dog staring at you. She climbed from the hole and began coughing. The room was incredibly smoky. All the windows were shut and shielded by red curtains. Candle stubs were lit on every surface, and a blazing fire flared under the cluttered mantel. A copper cauldron bubbled over the flame and was issuing an intense scent of perfume and soap that Rose was beginning to taste. She quietly took a seat on a plump armchair after fighting with the round pillows. The round tables were crammed together, so everyone was rather squished. Rose hadn't even noticed the Professor with all of the playing cards, books, crystal balls, and tea cups to distract her. Professor Trelawney stared at them with eyes magnified to multiple times their usual size. Beads littered her framed glasses and Rose pictured a thin, rather awkward figure under the many scarfs and shawls that she had over her arms. Not even her throat was visible through the multitude of beads and bands around her neck.

"Ah," Professor Trelawney suddenly gasped after a near minute and a half of silence that made everyone jump. "What did I say, dear children? What was it? What was it?" Her voice was airy but at the same time thick. She spoke with much wind and breath escape with a voice that was used in her throat.

Nobody answered her question as she peered about them all with her ginormous eyes.

"Did I not say that two of our number would ascend from the depths and make our number odd?"

"Couldn't you have just figured that out by checking the class attendance list sitting on your table and realize that two were missing?" Olly spoke from two tables back, looking bored. Her hair was damp with the humidity in the air and hung in her face.

"I have little need to glance at the parchment. My Inner Eye sees past such matters. I was aware of exactly who was in my class and who was missing before the semester started," she said airily and with a wave of her highly jeweled hand.

"Sure, but you can't prove it?" Olly retorted.

Rose widened her eyes at Olly. _Why was she being so sassy to a teacher?_ Was she not the punctual teacher's favorite and trusted student?

"Take your tea cups!" Trelawney suddenly snapped. There was a scramble for the shelves to retrieve the China that wasn't already cracked or pink. Rose held her nose as she passed the bubbling cauldron. She suspected Trelawney to have filled the copper with all essential oils, and the scent was overwhelming.

"Now that you are all seated, I shall fill your cups; then you will drink the tea, swirl the remains three times with your left hand, then tip the China upside down on your plate until the last drips have dropped. You will then have your partner use page five and six of your assigned book to decipher the meanings in your leaves. You will foretell the future. Now, wait for me to come around."

Rose was falling asleep on her round table. The humidity and fumes were making her drowsy. Her hair was now a ball of frizz that lay over her arms as she blinked to stay awake. Max nudged her hard as Trelawney neared their table. It was taking an extremely long time for her to get around to room to pour tea. She had very delicate hands and was getting on in years.

Trelawney poured the tea into Rose's yellow painted tea cup. She suddenly shot her gaze into Rose's eyes and studies her carefully.

"You have a relative in the room?" she said quickly.

Rose glanced at Albus who was watching with Olly, looking nervous. Olly rolled her eyes and muttered, " _What a grand prediction, who knew a Weasley and Potter were related?_ "

"Come, come," Trelawney beckoned Albus forward. "You shall predict her future; it will work better that way." And she continued down the line.

Scorpius and Olivia climbed over the Merik brother's table to join their friends.

"Notice how her _Inner Eye_ didn't see how you and Scorpius are related?" Olly sneered to Rose in a little less than a whisper.

"Only very distantly," said Scor.

"What's your deal, Olly?" Rose asked in shock. "Why are you being so impolite about this class?"

"Divination is rubbish," she huffed, sitting back in her chair.

"Then why did you take it?"

"Dad made me. An aspiring seer since 1985," she mocked. "People wonder why we don't have a home; he spent his entire life wasted before a snow globe without seeing crap. It's all a load of tosh!"

"You don't have a home?" Rose asked.

Olly turned slightly red. "Well, we move around a lot; it hasn't gotten back enough to break out the cardboard box yet," she sniggered slightly.

Rose didn't think the matter was funny at all. She would never have known.

"Ugh," Scorpius turned his nose up. "This tea is disgusting."

"It doesn't have any flavor," said Al, swishing his drink around.

"That's what's gross," said Rose. "It unnatural, like drinking warm orange juice."

"No, I mean mine tastes like dirt," said Scorpius.

"It's not about the taste," said Max, waiting, wide-eyed, for his tea drips to drain on his plate, having already finished. "We're about to see the future! Hurry up and finish guys, I want to get started!"

Albus was staring into Rose's tea cup, glancing back and forth between the book, and her tea leaves.

"Al," Rose groaned. "Please say something."

"I don't see anything!" said Al in frustration.

"Just, take a guess," Rose tried.

"Fine. Uh, that patch could be two petals. Maybe it has to do with your name, but, uh, there are only two petals which mean you're going to lose a bit of yourself."

"See Al?" Rose said enthusiastically. "That's was a really good shot! You don't have to know anything important as long as you can pretend."

"No, Scor, I don't see a boat, or a plane, or a portkey," Olly huffed from across the table. She was looking into Scor's tea cup.

Scorpius looked highly disappointed. "So, you're saying I'm not going to travel?"

"I'm saying that you're gonna get a lot of dirty snow," she pushed his cup away.

Max took it and examined. "I see a hat," he said. "That means success and decision. Good for you, Scor."

Scorpius cheered up. "Where do you see that?" he asked.

"It's like connect the dots," Max said.

"Easy for you," said Olly. "You've always been able to look into a discombobulated sky and see constellations."

"You wanna try, Rose?" Max pushed his cup to her and opened his book.

"Okay," Rose tried. "I see, umm, well, I see something with wings. Hey! Maybe that's for your fascination with owls!"

"Uh," Max looked a little distressed. "No, the wings mean death," he said shortly.

"Oh, again, I can't see anything."

Trelawney swept over like a vast, vibrant bird. She pressed close to their table expectantly, then frowned.

"My children, there is a heavy presence in this circle." Her glittering gaze swept Olivia. "Ah," she sighed, knowingly. "I trust that you have found something despite the block? The cups, let me see the cups."

A few scrambled to push their China toward her so that she could peer inside. "Ah-ha," she nodded to Scor's. "Good for you, dear. Uh-huuu," she said slightly more mysteriously toward Olly who remained uninterested. "Oh, you have quite a busy cup, young man," she said to Al. "Secrets don't do well to keep for a long period of time; fills your brain, clouds your eye," she whispered to him. Albus was staring, suddenly interested. Trelawney took Rose's cup. "Hm," she mumbled, swirling the leaves around. "Fear, captivity, bondage, betrayal-"

"Are you just naming synonyms for a shit storm?" Olly hissed. Trelawney ignored her.

"My, my, my, child, you have dark days ahead of you, dark days indeed."

Rose snatched her cup and flipped through her book. Before the Professor even reached Max's cup, her gaze sprang up to him and blinked sadly. It was with trembling hands that she gripped Max's tea cup. Max was watching closely with his hands folded tightly in his lap, and he was holding his breath.

Trelawney looked into his cup and without a word, set it down, took Max by the hands and pulled him into her beaded chest. She patted him on the head soothingly and muttered. "There, there." Then she walked off without any sort of explanation. Max stood rooted to the spot utterly nonplused.

"Don't let it worry you," said Olly. "Exaggeration."

Rose's knot in her stomach loosened as she was relieved to find Trelawney checking every table's cup and making grand predictions about the untimely death, or loss of love and life. She gave Nolly Madison a scare as she went on and on about a great famine in her home of every resource which will lead to illness and death in a friend.

Rose was glad to be climbing down the glittering ladder and away from the fumes which had given her a sore throat. Olivia was chatting enthusiastically about the Arithmancy class she was about to take. Albus was tapping his finger against his leg and making small noises like he was trying to remember a beat and wasn't listening to anything else. Scorpius was happy to listen to Olly, but Max was somber unlike his attitude before class.

"Was it everything you hoped it to be?" Rose asked.

"What?" he blinked and looked at her, slightly startled. "Oh, yeah, I mean no. I feel like a lot will happen in this class and am excited about future lessons. But, the way she looked at me after my cup."

"Don't let it worry you," said Rose, nudging him slightly. "Apparently, Trelawney is known for picking a student and foreseeing their death. It's nonsense; she chose my uncle, Harry, in his first class too."

Max went white. "Rosie, Harry actually _did_ die!"

"Yeah, but he came back."

"You're not gonna drop dead in the great hall or anything," Scorpius spoke up. He seemed perfectly cheerful. "She could have just hugged you because she saw you giving her a really nice Christmas present, you should do that, just in case."

They skipped down the stone steps, hoping that theirs didn't decide to move. Olly used Scorpius hand so she could step down the railing over thirteen other stories of stairs.

"You're one to talk," Al spoke at last. "You're the only one who got a good prediction."

"All tosh," said Olivia, finishing her balance beam and skipping down. "Just an old fraud. Don't believe anything she says, Max, or you Rosie. Bondage, betrayal, captivity? Ugh, ridiculous," she sniffed.

"I have to go to the Lou," said Rose as they passed the women's restroom on the way to Muggle Studies. "You go on."

Rose peered into the mirror with her mouth wide open to see how bad the fumes had swelled her throat.

"You okay?" Rose spun to see Dahlia, step out of a stall and begin washing her hands.

"Oh, yeah. Divination, that class will mess me up," she replied.

"Did the bat predict your death?" Dahlia smirked.

"Max's. But that's ridiculous."

"Did she say how he was going to die? A fifth year told me that Trelawney told her he was going to be squished."

"No, she didn't say anything at all," Rose thought. "She just hugged him, or maybe she was smelling him, or something, I don't know. It was freaky."

"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you." She slipped a small pouch from her pocket and took a couple of pills into her hand. "I bet he's all worked up about it."

"Yeah. He likes Astronomy, well, like is an understatement, and he believes in Divination. But I think Muggle Studies will calm him down."

"Muggle Studies? Doesn't that start at ten?"

"Yeah, what time is it now?" Rose glanced at her watch. "TEN?"

Rose tore from the restroom without a backward glance. She wasn't going to be late! Rose swung her book back to the front and began tearing her required books from it, parchment and quill.

SLAM!

Her papers went flying, as did her feet from under her. Rose fell to the ground but didn't even notice her skinned knee as she bustled around for her papers, apologizing profusely to whoever she had crashed into.

"Rose?" she sprung up to see Illya above her. He reached out a hand and helped her up, already with a pile of her books in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah!" she grinned a little too smiling. She hadn't seen Illya in a couple of days, and she was thrilled that it was him she crashed into. "Muggle Studies! I'm late!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," he said, bending low to gather her papers. "Professor Duran isn't too strict with stragglers. He's pretty easy going unless you forget to sign your name on your homework."

"Thanks," she mumbled as he handed her papers back.

"Look, I wanted to-" he began, and Rose had to stop from just bursting away.

"I have to get to class, Illya," she tried urgently with a slight spring in her legs toward the opposite direction.

"Okay. It's just… okay," he shrank slightly with his hands in his pockets.

"I'll catch you later!" Rose called behind her as she ran.

"…okay."

Rose skidded into the classroom, and her books fell from her arms again. Max helped her retrieve them, and she sat at his neighboring desk, nervously.

"It's okay," Max whispered. "He's not here yet."

Muggle Studies was relatively enjoyable. Professor Duran had them open their books and read chapter one. Then he gave them notes to be copied about muggles resourcefulness when it comes to entertaining themselves. He commended them for making some of the most extraordinary things from nothing or from having just been bored. Rose could tell that Hugo will love this class when it's his time to take it.

As for the practical bit of the lesson. Duran gave each student a stack of paper and taught them a few folds in origami. Rose made a butterfly and bewitched it to fly around the room. She watched the paper wings flap back and forth as the rest of the students finished. Homework was to write an essay on the history of origami and how and where it originated. Then, they had to make an origami structure that they feel represents them.

Rose spent the rest of the evening in the library, trying to work out how to make a rose, which she didn't think at all represented her, but thinking a common welsh green dragon riding a broomstick was a bit too complicated so early and not being allowed to use magic.


	8. Nothing Else Matters, Metallica

The first week of term flew by with much homework to do, and by the time the second week approached, Rose was well in the swing of things and felt as though the summer break had never happened. The group visited Stella as often as they could, but unlike last year, she didn't beg them to come by so often. Stella was very strict with them about not missing classes or sending in late homework. Yoman was to thank for this. He provided well-needed company for her and supplies, in return, Stella helped Yoman with his chores tending to magical plants, peeling three hundred bags of potatoes, and making decorations for the Halloween feast coming in a couple of months.

She did not mind any of the chores. As they worked together, Yoman would quiz her on vocabulary, spelling, and history. He had even taught her a song to remember the periodic table of elements. In academics, Stella was soaring.

But they had other things to worry them. The Quidditch tryouts were to be held the following day as were music auditions that Al was going frantic about.

"Rose, you were right! God, I don't know enough to make it in the band! I'm going to humiliate myself!" Al would fuss.

"Albus, calm down. You'll do great. You've been practicing as long as you have been able. Just pretend that it's only you and that guitar up there." Rose would try to ease him.

"Yeah, you're gonna be totally hot," said Olivia casually while stabbing her potatoes.

Very few students turned up to try out for the Quidditch team when the day arrived. Rose had dressed and waited with her broom amongst three others waiting for beater. Paxton Rockward directed a few scared looking students onto school brooms and gave them instruction before blowing his whistle and watching them carefully.

Enoc Hubert was sitting beside Rose, looking excited. Enoc was a stout sixth year Gryffindor with short brown hair spiked in the front and a very thick build. He had been beater on the Quidditch team since the second year and looked it.

"Why are there so few people trying out?" Rose asked him.

"Don't want to ruin our chances," Enoc replied. "This is the best team we've had in a decade; people think we have a shot with who we have now."

"But we haven't won the Quidditch Cup since we've been assembled."

"Yeah, but we've gotten closer than we have in ten years. Oh, here we go." Enoc slapped her heavily on the back as though she were his little brother and started toward the Quidditch pitch as all the potential beaters made it forward.

It was wonderful to be in the air again. Rose's hair whipped her face as she smacked the bludgers with a satisfying CRACK! It was no surprise that she and Enoc were re-chosen to join the team even though the other potential beaters strode off grumbling about favoritism and scams. Two students who were planning to try for keeper changed their mind and left the pitch, leaving James to compete against Tyler Garner for the position while Rose knew that this was simply because Tyler had been dared to compete; he was a dreadful flyer.

Max threw an arm around her neck as she emerged from the dressing room, untying her hair.

"Congratulations," he nodded. "Now comes a year full of stress, sleepless nights and puffy eyes should be fun." He shook her slightly.

Rose pushed him off when seeing Scorpius emerge from the Slytherin changing rooms, readying for his chance back at beater.

"Scor!" Rose called and slammed into him from her run.

Scor dropped his broomstick. "I thought you were Olly," he said, rubbing his shoulder and retrieving his broom.

"Has he auditioned yet?" Rose asked.

"Al? No, he was somewhere in the middle. If you run, you can still make it."

"But no one will be here to support you," said Max.

"I'm good," Scor said as his name was called by Slytherin captain, Keith. "Al needs the support!" Scorpius ran toward his captain and readied to fly.

"Oh my God," Max breathed. "Look who's trying to make her mark."

Rose peered down the pitch to see Poppy Parkinson gripping her broom cooly. Fraunk and Stewart stood with her, also with broomsticks.

"Oh no," Rose gasped. "Are you sure we should leave? What if he gets into a fight?"

Scorpius was just greeted warmly by his last year team.

"I think he'll be fine," said Max. "Let's go!"

They both burst through the oak front doors, puffing. Rose had never run so fast in her life and up a massive hill too.

"Do you know where the auditions are supposed to be held?" Max asked, red-faced and sweaty.

"No," Rose gasped.

Just at that moment, a terrible blurping sound echoed down the grand staircase. Rose suddenly remembered Hufflepuff, Hermonia Oyler who had been practicing her tuba in the corridors and courtyard.

She and Max hustled up the grand staircase and down a passage on the second floor. On a door, two down from the Charms classroom was a sign, _Music Auditions._ Rose burst through and accidentally slammed the door which frightened Hermonia Oyler from her tuba causing her to hit the wrong note and look up.

The room was very large with a couple of rows of chairs where friends and family members could watch the auditions. In the front was a small table where Professor Flitwick sat, elevated to it using books. Flitwick was tiny, probably part elf or goblin. He had a thick white mustache and a bald spot on the top of his head surrounded by a halo of fluffy white hair. He had been watching Hermonia with a notepad and quill.

Rose and Max awkwardly took a seat on the second row of chairs with Olivia.

"I am sorry about that, Miss Oyle," Professor Flitwick squeaked, but he didn't look upset at the two distractions but rather relieved for the blurting to have stopped.

"That's alright, Professor," beamed Hermonia. "I'll just start over." She gave a big puff and started back.

"Oh, no, you don't- uh."

The room had been bewitched not to echo as the students played. Rose watched Cinthia Huster audition for the harp, Benjamin Albert played the drums, Rene Weedler came out with crystal glasses, Murrey Otle played the Zeusaphone, and Octavius Finnigan used the reed pipes. Rose was wondering when the more common instruments would play, like the glass drums, bagpipe major, Snighter electric, or double sided violin.

"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Himpton for that charming and very, uh, enthusiastic performance, please send Mr. Clemon out when you go," Flitwick said, digging a finger into his ear.

Clemon emerged from the room with no instrument at all.

"The vocalists!" Rose whispered. "Wait, that would mean all the musicians are finished. Al hasn't performed."

"Do you think he flaked out?" Max whispered.

"Oh Hell no." Olly stood from her chair and marched into the side room containing the students who have yet to tryout.

Clemon was terrible, but Rose admired his courage. He sang ' _So you want my curse?_ by _Denise Surow'_ Max had his hand over most of his face throughout the performance and watched through his fingers. It was painful to watch Clemon and hurt when he tried to hit those low notes.

"Uh ha, thank you, Mr. Clemon. I will let you know the results of your audition shortly. Please send for Pepper Kins."

Olivia slid through the door with Kins and crawled across the seats toward Max.

"He needs you," she whispered.

"Needs me for what?" Max asked. "I can't play guitar."

"Just come with me, before Kins finishes."

Max stood up hesitantly and followed Olly back out. Part of Rose wanted to follow; another wanted to stay and be surprised by what happened. She remained seated on the second row by herself while Kins performed; she was actually quite talented.

"Thank you, Miss. Kins. Will you please send for-"

"Albus!" Olly had just swung from the side door and shouted.

"Potter from earlier, he's ready now, sorry for the delay, professor, guitar malfunctions."

"Oh, well alright, send him in."

Albus emerged from the side room to step onto the small platform and to Rose's surprise, Max followed. Maddox pulled a chair from the floor and swung it under his legs while Al adjusted his strap and twiddled his tuning nobs.

"Are you preforming together?" Flitwick asked. "You do realize that you will be graded separately?"

"He's auditioning, Professor," said Max. "I'm staying in as vocalist but have no desire to be in the music club."

"Oh, pitty, you look the part. What will you be playing?"

"Nothing Else Matters by Metallica," Al said, brushing his hair from his face and adjusting his glasses.

"A muggle son? On a Snighter? This should be interesting! When you're ready-"

Rose leaned forward to Olly who was on the front row and fiddling with Al's hand mirror.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Al freaked out," Olly whispered. "said he'd feel much more comfortable if Max would join him."

"What are you doing with the mirror?"

"Calling Stella."

The mirror buzzed in her hands as she waited. Stella never took long to answer. The mirror grew dark as they were cast a view into Stella's cave. Olly quickly put a finger to her lips to tell Stella to keep quiet. After glancing toward Flitwick to be sure he couldn't see, Olly rotated the mirror and blocked the face from the surrounding students with her arms.

"Psst," Olly whispered.

Al glanced up from his Snighter and grinned suddenly. Stella beamed at him with her wet hands over her mouth in excitement. Almost visibly, something fell off of Al and all of his muscles relaxed, and he began.

Softly on his Snighter, Al picked the tune and the whole room leaned forward. Then, Max began.

"So close, no matter how faaar,

Couldn't be much more from the heaaart,

Forever, trusting who we aaaare,

And nothing else matteeeers."

Rose rested her arms on the seat in front and watched, mesmerized. Separate, they were good, but together… The expression on the three girl's face third row expressed what the crowd thought of the performance.

Most students who had auditioned had ninety seconds of time or until Flitwick had them stop; neither parties followed those rules. Al switched to neck one while two continued to play his riff on its own; the sound was incredible. The students waiting to audition had opened the side door to listen. The song finished and the room remained silent. The atmosphere broke when a loud clapping startled the crowd, and they turned to see Scorpius, winded and red but grinning as he applauded from the doorway.

Flitwick stood from his chair and clapped happily too.

"Good show!" he finally squeaked. "Yes, very good indeed! This is just what I was looking for! Upbeat but genuine! The two of you even look the part! A little young, a little rebellious, with a bit of makeup under the eyes we may have our Valentine's Day show!"

"Uh, Professor!" Max jumped up. "I was just filling in for Al. I'm not auditioning!"

"Oh, come now. You're a natural! Together, you can be the next Jim Dinalli!"

Max sputtered while Flitwick shook his hand and pushed them off the stage. Al was beaming, but Max looked positively flabbergasted he sank back into a chair beside Olly.

Rose leaned forward cautiously. "I know you probably don't want to here it right now," she whispered. "But you were incredible."

Max looked at her and smirked slightly in spite of himself.

"Come on," she tapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go see Stella."

Albus was enthusiastically congratulated as they made their way onto the grounds and into the warm September air.

"You looked so good up there!" said Olly.

"I had to run from the pitch to get here," said Scor. "There were like, a dozen students listening through the doors."

"Speaking of which," said Rose. "How did tryouts go? Did you make the team?"

"Uh, I won't know until Keith finishes evaluating," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't do nearly as well as last year; I'm afraid I won't make it."

"You'll be fine," said Max for the first time since they auditioned. "What was the Salazar's doing there?"

"They were trying out," Scor laughed. "I didn't have much to worry about. Stewart is a really good flyer but the other two sucked, and Keith hates Stewart, so I don't think he's going to curse us with him."

"Is that Dahlia?" Rose squinted through the sun to see a girl sitting under their tree with a book over her lap.

Something strange swept through Rose and made her stomach turn, like speeding over a lump in the road. Dahlia was staring straight at them with no expression. Max took Rose by the sleeve.

"Keep walking," he mumbled.

Rose looked away and kept walking, though she could feel Dahlia's gaze following them.

"Who's that?" asked Scorpius.

"The new girl, Dahlia Zzyra," Olivia answered. "She's American."

"What's with you two?" Al asked, staring at Max and Rose.

"I don't know," Rose answered, stopping. "I don't feel well."

Rose clutched her stomach and almost wanted to vomit.

"How about we take you to Hagrid's?" Scorpius suggested quickly. "He can make you some tea. Did you eat anything today?"

Hagrid's hut was closer than the gardens were. Otherwise, they would have gone to Yoman for help. They trotted pass the greenhouses and ducked out of sight as Professor Supple passed; they feared that he might have them assist him in some revolting way. Albus knocked heavily on the oak door of Hagrid's tiny hut, surrounded by veggies and baskets, soil and wood. Albus knocked again, but no one answered.

"It's unlocked," said Scor, pushing the door ajar.

The five stepped into the dark hut lit by only the embers of the fire. In one corner of the one-roomed house was a massive quilted bed, in the other was a table with chairs. Olivia busied herself with tea as Max looked out the window.

"I don't see him out back either," he said.

"He may be out with Grawp," Rose reminded them.

"Who's Grawp?" Max asked, opening the curtains fully to allow light.

"His giant brother."

"What?"

"Hagrid had a full giant brother who lives in a cave in the Forbidden Forest," said Al.

"He's a legend around here," said Olivia as she poured boiling water into five massive tea cups. "Some students are terrified of him, others have gone looking but chickened out. Giants are vicious after all. I'm not saying Grawp is, but whether deliberate to accidental, he could easily kill you."

"Yep," Rose sipped her tea that the seasoning bag hadn't yet flavored.

"Didn't Teddy say that Hagrid was going to try'n get a new pet? Do you think he's done that already?" Al asked, sinking into the ginormous armchair beside Rose.

"I don't hear any growls or hissing, stomping or fire breathing, so I'd say he hasn't," said Rose.

"A more pressing question," Max interrupted. "What happened, Rose? Why were you suddenly sick?"

"I don't know," Rose thought. "After I saw Dahlia watching us, something flipped, and I felt like I was swallowing gillyweed."

"And this happened as you saw Zzyra?" Max asked cautiously.

"It's not because of Dahlia," said Rose sharply. "We share a room after all, and I haven't had that before. It was just a coincidence."

"Besides," started Al. "You can't get ill just by seeing someone."

"Yes, you can," said Max sternly. "It's happened to me when I would look at my mother. Like I rock falling in your stomach, right? Everything becomes foggy?"

"Why would Rose get that feeling just because of the new girl? She doesn't look very dangerous."

"Unless she's just another of Max's stalkers."

"I'm sure it's not. Perhaps Rose just ate something funny."

"Why are you so certain it's not this Zzyra girl? I had a peculiar feeling around her at the start of term feast."

"Maybe she was doused in winnithle spit; isn't that supposed to repeal people?"

"IT WAS NOT DAHLIA!" Rose screeched, the argument was giving her a headache. "I agree with Scor. It was probably something I ate. Look, it's getting late. I kind of just want to go to bed."

Rose stood from the chair and deposited her soup bowl sized tea cup into the sink before readying to close the curtain. However, something through the window caught her eye. "Hey guys?" she whispered. "Isn't that Supple?" Professor Supple was bending low over Hagrid's pink umbrella that was leaning against his hut. Supple was examining it carefully and poking different bits. Rose's friends had joined her at the window and were watching him curiously.

"Professor!" Rose called suddenly in a booming voice that startled Supple so much that he toppled backward to and had difficulty getting back up due to his large belly. "What are you doing with Hagrid's umbrella?" she with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, children!" Supple chuckled unnaturally, scrambling up and dusting his brown robes. "I- I was under the impression that Hagrid was at the castle. If I had known he was home, I never would've- uh-just cleaning it." He flicked a speck from the umbrella.

"No, Professor," said Rose with much suspicion. "Hagrid was just taking a nap. Would you like me to wake him for you?" she lied.

"Oh, oh no! Let the poor man sleep! I will be going. Uh, you'll do well not to mention I was here, won't you? I don't see a need to say anything, right? I will see you all at class. Right, okay." He nodded and walked away.

The five stared at he left. _What was that about? Why had he been examining Hagrid's umbrella?_ Rose stepped out of the house to retrieve the item of now much curiosity. The umbrella was small, too small to shield someone like Hagrid from the rain. She passed the stained tool through the window and had Scorpius hoist her through.

"What's so interesting about this?" asked Max, flipping it in his hands.

"Is it really our business?" Scorpius asked, placing Rose down so she could snatch the umbrella back.

"Al? Didn't Uncle Harry mention Hagrid having an umbrella where he stored-?"

"Is this really it?" Albus hurried, taking the pink canvas.

"What's so special about the thing?" asked Olivia.

Al and Rose eyed each other a moment. Should they tell them? After all, if Hagrid was found out, he would be in huge trouble.

"Um, there's something hidden inside," Rose whispered.

The other three became suddenly interested, leaning closer toward the umbrella.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"His wand, well, its pieces anyway," said Al, turning the item over and trying at the handle.

"Why would his wand be in there? Seems awfully inconvenient, doesn't it? And it would lessen the magical ability in it," said Olly.

"Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts for something he didn't do. His wand was broken, but he was allowed to keep the pieces, you know, for sentiment," Rose explained. "It's illegal, of course, to use your wand once it's been snapped. If anyone knew, he would lose his job and possibly earn jail time."

"Why was Supple so interested?" asked Scorpius. "You don't think he suspects?"

"Those who don't think it's odd that this umbrella has magical powers that only the owner can wield are pretty stupid," said Al. "I think Supple is trying to expose Hagrid. I just don't know why. I mean, hardly anyone dislikes Hagrid."

BANG!

The five children jumped as the door to the hut was smashed open. Standing silhouetted in the doorway, illuminated by the setting sun, was a giant. Hagrid stepped in and shook off a bit of dirt from his heavy overcoat. Nobody said anything as Hagrid examined the pot of premade tea confusedly. At last, he turned and jumped so violently that the teapot shattered in his massive hand.

"What're yeh lot doin' in me house!" he asked loudly, then his eyes wandered to the pink umbrella in Al's hands. Albus' eyes widened, and he quickly tried to conceal it behind his back, but it was too late. Hagrid snatched it up and pulled it close to his chest.

"I don' know what yeh know, but, I mean, there ain't nothing ter know. Nothing odd about this here umbrella. What'd yer know?"

"Hagrid," said Rose soothingly. "We know your wand is in that umbrella."

Hagrid blushed scarlet. "Don be absurd! My wand was snapped! It is illegal to use yer wand after it's been broke! I ain't doin nothing illegal!"

Rose raised her eyebrows at him and waited. Hagrid sighed and let the parasol fall at his side.

"How'd yeh figure out?"

"Well, it's not a huge mystery, Hagrid," said Al. "You shoot magic from that thing. Professor Supple was probing it just a little while ago, and we riddled out why."

"Supple?" Hagrid roared. "That prat! Finally figured me out!"

"What do you mean? Is this not the first time he's snooped?" Rose asked.

Hagrid flopped into his vast armchair that, thankfully, Al and Rose were no longer sitting in. "No, it ain't. He's been snoopin round my hut ever since he got here. Been trying to find dirt on me."

"But why?" Al took a seat on the arm of his chair.

"Wants my job," he said. "Hates kids, he does. I reckon he's try'n to get me sacked."

"But why should it be such a big deal?" asked Scorpius. "You were given full magical liberty after you were proven innocent, weren't you? You should have been given a new wand and full apology."

"They offered me a new wand," said Hagrid. "But I declined; I'd, uh, grown rather attached to me umbrella, see? I couldn't part with it."

"But wouldn't others find it odd that you wield magic with an umbrella?" Olivia asked. "It couldn't remain a secret, I mean, it's been over twenty years, hasn't it?"

"Everyone just thought I was a powerful wizard who could cast magic through inanimate objects; I rather liked the idea," Hagrid confessed.

"But it's not a big deal if Supple finds your wand remains," said Rose. "You're a Professor now. You're allowed to use magic as you wish."

Hagrid shook his head. "If he finds the wand shards, he'll know that I had been using magic before my name was cleared. I could still be punished for all the magic I did before."

"You would just say that you didn't know," said Scorpius. "When in doubt, play dumb."

"I signed a form when I was expelled," said Hagrid. "They know I know."

"Supple won't succeed," said Max. "We won't let him. And all we have to do is keep him away until next semester when he's gone. Neville will be back!"

"Yeah," Scor agreed. "We'll help. We'll just snoop and blackmail him away from you!"

Hagrid raised a bushy graying eyebrow at him. "I've never been too close to a Slytherin before, but this is fun."

"We should be getting back soon," said Olivia, peering through the window. "It's getting dark, but I think we may still be able to catch some scraps from the kitchen leftovers."

"Yes!" Scor exclaimed. "I'm starving, I've hardly eaten all day."

"You didn't get any supper first?" Hagrid asked.

"No," Scor shrugged. "We skipped out to visit-" he stopped himself just in time and turned slightly red.

Hagrid looked around at them suspiciously. "Visit who?" Hagrid asked.

The group looked around at each other. Last year, Hagrid had good reason to suspect at least the half of the group to be involved in the happenings of the lake and the disappearance of the missing mermaid. He believed them to have stolen her or helped her escape which was extremely illegal to be even at all involved with the merpeople by merlaw unless said otherwise by the chief. Hagrid was right of course and had tried to get them to slip a confession all last year. He had nearly managed with Scor many times, but luckily, Scorpius was a good liar and could cover his well-trodden tracks relatively fast.

" _Whom,_ " said Rose suddenly. "We were going to visit _whom_ , Hagrid, not who." She corrected his grammar as she never did and hated when her mother did to her.

Hagrid stared at her in shock. He was particularly surprised that she had chosen this small and common mistake rather than the many more dominate slips in their conversation. But this annoying correction had the effect she had hoped for; Hagrid seemed to forget what he had asked. Max winked at her.

"Do you have any bread, Hagrid? I could defiantly go for a sandwich," Rose rubbed her hands together and looked around the room.

Hagrid shook his head and stood to find bread. Scorpius muttered ' _thanks_ ' as he hit her on the back. But due to the fish net she had just noticed was tangled around her ankle, she fell backward off Hagrid's armchair and into a barrel of mush.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed as Scorpius pulled her back out. "What is this?"

Hagrid spun around with the half-finished sandwich in his hand.

"Oh tha?" he asked in surprise at the brown chunks of crap on Rose's clothes. "That's Iapetus' chow."

"Who's Iapetus?" Max asked, picking a piece of chow from Rose's hair.

"My dog," said Hagrid happily.

"You got a dog?" asked Al in surprise. "Why haven't we seen him?"

"Yeh don' come over as ofen'. Here, I reckon I can stir em awake. Just took em for a walk."

Hagrid reached into his overcoat and began digging into his inner pockets. Many other noises were coming from his coat, clanks, breaking glass, keys, growls.

"Ah!" said Hagrid, pulling his hand out.

He others leaned in close to see as Hagrid flattened his hand to reveal a chihuahua quivering excitedly in his palm. The dog stared buggy-eyed at them all, licked his nose, and panted more.

Rose almost laughed out loud. The companionship between a giant and a chihuahua was unlikely and humorous.

"He's adorable!" Max exclaimed, sweeping the dog up and cradling it. "Hagrid, how haven't you squished him in that coat?"

Hagrid shrugged. "That's the only place he sleeps."

"That's an awfully lot of food for such a small dog," said Olivia.

"Speaking of which," Rose started, the smell of the dog mush now being noticed. "I think I'm going to take that sandwich to go; I need to wash up. Thank you, Hagrid." She took the sandwich, everyone wished the giant farewell and left his cabin to find that they had ten minutes to get back to the castle.

They were all able to share the ham and cheese sub as Hagrid had made it two feet long. By the time they reached the castle, they had to sprint to make it to their common rooms in time. Al promised to apologize to Stella for not visiting her and schedule to meet up the following morning.

Rose bid Max goodnight and showered before feeding Cromwell a bit of forgotten muffin on her bedside table and curl up under her covers. She opened an eye to see Dahlia. She was sitting up with an unnatural amount of posture and had a book open in her lap. Her brown hair hung long in her face. Something in Rose's stomach tightened as she could have sworn Dahlia's eyes were not on the pages of the book, but staring into hers.


	9. Valdawn

Classes were long that day. Rose was eager for them to be over so she could visit Stella. Rose felt bad. With the new classes just starting and the extra homework, Rose had put Stella on a backburner. She had done hardly any Sugamina work at all. She was just glad that Al had calmed down since last year. If he were as hysterical and frantic as the previous semester, she would have been scorned and skinned. But Albus was cooler about the deal. He had become more level headed over the summer. Rose highly suspected this to be because Stella was safe. She was hidden and out of danger. She was no longer spending her days eating clams in a mausoleum nor was she in a cage to be poked with sticks in the mervillage. She was safe behind a peaceful waterfall in the most pleasant season of all. She was happy, and she had Yoman who cared for her.

Albus was calmer but no less passionate about the mission. Rose could spot him in classes with the Marauder's book of Animagi open in front of his school books. He would bend low reading and decipher it. At one point, his inattention was noticed, and Donima snatched the small journal from him. She was about to begin reading it in front of the class when Olivia interrupted to tell her that the book was simply Al's diary recording his hormonal growth. Donima didn't seem as eager to read it and only placed it on her desk until the end of class. Al had received much teasing about the excuse, but it had the effect he wanted. The true contents of the book were still a secret and Olivia was praised for her quick thinking.

The weather had a slight chill as the five made their way across the grounds toward the gardens. Scorpius entertained the party with the discovery of an extra leaf of the Hogwarts tunnel system hidden except on Fridays when the right word was uttered. Rose skipped over the tree roots and stumps protruding from the ground. She was trying her best not to trip; she had a tendency of falling over these roots all too often and had become a joke among the friends who could never look away from her or she'd fall. Max walked with his hand gently hovering behind her back, touching her robes every now and then. He never kept his hand far from her for it was his responsibility to catch her when she stumbled and fell.

Scorpius pushed the door to the gardens open as Al chewed on his quill, examining the book. An elf slipped a couple of cherries into Rose's hand as she made her way to the spring brook. She munched on the fruit while listening to Al talking to himself about what a particular passage meant.

"Al?" Rose started, spitting the cherry pit into a basket of weeds. "You're over thinking again. James wasn't the type of person to speak in riddle. What is written in that book means what it says. Like-" Rose slipped the book from Al's hands. "Here, when it states, _inserting the hydrogen meclionite hurt like hell,_ I'm pretty sure he meant that it hurt like hell. We just need to figure out how it was inserted, then how, where, and if we even have to insert it into Stella. We're not focusing so much on the exact method that the Marauders did it, but how we're going to do it in reverse. Some of this is impossible in reverse, like walking three miles after every spell. Stella doesn't have our kind of magic, and we don't even know if she is capable of doing them, and would she have to walk backward for Sugamina. And how is she supposed to walk at all? She had a bloody tail!"

"It's all possible!" Al barked, snatching the book back. "We just need to be smarter."

Rose stripped off her cloak and stepped into the shallow stream with the others when they arrived. As usual, the stream was comfortable and cool against her knees to rise suddenly to her chest as she ducked under the waterfall. Al quickly hushed the silent kids as he noticed Stella sleeping. She floated gracefully on top of the water, her head beneath so her greenish-blonde hair was haloed around her face. Al's Slytherin Quidditch sweater rippling in the water around her. Everyone clambered onto the wooden platform Yoman had made and sat quietly. Al was watching, mesmerized.

"I've never seen her sleep before," he whispered.

Rose tilted her head toward Stella, from this angle, she almost looked human despite her silver tail. Rose grabbed one of the books on this platform. It was a dictionary, and when flipping the pages, she found a highlighted word on nearly every page. _How boring Stella's life must be if she had the time and interest to highlight a dictionary._ Five minutes into studying atop the platform, an angelic humming met Rose's ears. Everyone turned to see Stella singing quietly in her sleep, her voice soft and beautiful being under water. What was amusing, was that she was singing Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.

The song echoed in the cave that now rang with music. Rose was humming too when something else caught her interest. Something crunched outside the waterfall, like twigs. Elves were too light to break twigs. It could be Filtch or Hagrid. Rose hit Al on the arm and pointed outside. Albus got the hint and scooped Stella from the water and covered her mouth. Stella's already large almond eyes widened with surprise, but seeing as it was Al, she remained quiet. A silhouette stepped into view. It shook violently due to the falling water between them and it. The figure was taller than an elf but smaller than a teacher. It was as though it was a student. Well, she knew some Hufflepuffs knew about the gardens, but they had never seen anyone else in here before. The figure stopped on the edge of the stream. Even through the water, they could see its head turn toward them. Rose's heart pounded heavily in her chest. If the person walked toward them, if they entered under the waterfall, they would see everything. The figure's head turned to the ground where Rose and her friends had left their cloaks. Three green and silver cloaks beside two Gryffindor. Rose's heart stopped. It wouldn't take a genius to find that group of people.

The figure turned back toward the waterfall and walked away. Stella was breathing heavily through her gills on her waist. She was staring terrified at the absence of the figure. Nobody moved for a near three minutes until Al finally remembered that he was still gripping Stella and broke quickly. She spun around.

"Who was that?" she whispered, which sounded very peculiar.

"I don't know," Al breathed.

"How did it know?" Stella asked.

"They could have been following us," whispered Scorpius. "They could have been watching us for a while now and finally took to our trail. They could have seen us disappear under the waterfall and worked things out in their head."

Stella was listening, terrified.

"Or, it could have just been a coincidence. It may have just been a Hufflepuff," Al said slowly with a dangerous look at Scorpius.

"Oh my God," Rose bent over the platform quickly and held her mouth. "I don't- I don't-"

"You're sick again?" asked Max with a hand on her back worriedly. "You don't think?" He spun toward the waterfall exit looking frightened. "What if-"

"It wasn't Dahlia," Rose barked, clutching her stomach, wanting desperately to throw up. "I'm just sick, Max! It was something I ate."

"Actually, it is being impossible to become sick with the food the elves is making. It is being enchanted so that students don't get ill. Unless you is overeating." Yoman had just popped from thin air onto the platform behind them.

"Yoman!" Rose said joyfully, though still feeling sick. She hugged the elf around his tiny waist. Yoman was their favorite house elf and was relatively tall with a long slender nose and a small gown with a red string around the shoulder. She had written to him several times over the summer which seemed to be something that no one had ever done before.

"Yoman," Max started. "Did you see anyone else in the gardens lately?"

"I isn't seeing anyone," Yoman squeaked. "I is being in the kitchens then here."

"We could ask one of the other elves," Scorpius suggested.

"I isn't thinking that to be a good thing," said Yoman. "If you is asking about someone else's activities in the gardens then they may be thinking it okay to tell others about you and yours."

"It was probably just a Hufflepuff," Al tried to assure them.

"Even still, I don't like how close they were to us," said Scorpius. "And they saw our cloaks; they will know who was here."

The rest of the visit with Stella was rather tense. The figure was on everyone's mind. Stella was studying her dictionary quietly while Al studies the Marauder's book of Animagi.

"This is a good one!" Stella exclaimed, pointing at the book. "Otorhinolaryngologist. Try saying that five times quick."

"No thanks," Rose smiled. "You like that book?"

"It's wonderful!" Stella said. "Have you read it?"

"Uh, no. I'm waiting for the movie to come out."

"That just made me uneasy," said Rose as they pushed through the garden door. "That figure."

"It was no one," said Al fixedly. He didn't believe that.

Max said nothing as they walked past the greenhouses.

"It wasn't," said Rose under her breath.

"Then how do you explain getting sick just when seeing Zzyra and again the same way when seeing the figure. It had to be her. You can't still be on about it being a coincidence," he snapped.

Rose was slightly surprised by the severity in his tone and the way he glared. "It doesn't make sense, either way, Max," she said. "It doesn't make sense that I get sick twice so suddenly and it doesn't make sense that I get sick when seeing Dahlia."

"No. Getting sick twice suddenly doesn't make sense, but getting sick when seeing someone does. It's not a good sign; it often means that the person is an omen."

"I don't exactly buy Divination," she said. "I don't believe in omens."

"Well I do," said Max stubbornly. "And she is one."

Rose shook her head but didn't argue.

"Look, look, look!" Scorpius hit Al making him drop the book. He pointed across the grounds where they could see a balding head bobbing across the grass, his round belly bouncing with him.

"Is Supple really at it again?" Olivia whispered. "Hagrid's home I think too."

"That means the greenhouses are empty… and his office," said Scorpius. "If we're going to help Hagrid by finding dirt on this guy then this is the perfect opportunity."

"It's getting late," said Rose. "If we're caught-"

"Are we going to find a better opportunity?" Scor argued. "Here, the three of us will follow Supple to be sure that he doesn't find anything. You and Max check his office."

Scorpius beckoned Al and Olivia to follow him, and they did so without hesitation. Rose glanced at Max with doubt.

"Come on," he whispered and grabbed the hood of her robes as they headed across the bumpy grounds toward the greenhouses.

"Couldn't we have made a plan first?" Rose asked. "This all seems rushed. I mean, Scorpius is supposed to be the planner too."

"He's also a chance taker. He sees an opportunity; he takes it," Max replied. "I think his office is this way."

They tiptoed past greenhouse four to find a small shed just behind.

"Must be very inconvenient to have to work all the way out here by yourself," Rose whispered.

Max checked the knob. "He had a small office beside his sleeping quarters at the castle. This is just for quick use. _Alohomora!_ " The knob gave and allowed Max to push it open.

A gust of dirt and what smelled like mold wafted at them as the door opened. Rose coughed and held her robes over her nose as they crept in. The shed was about the size of a master bathroom. There was a desk in one corner and a shelve of plants and ingrediency in the other. Vines and thorns twisted up the walls to make the place look more like a jungle than an office.

"So, what are we looking for?" Rose asked, squinting her eyes due to the decay and flipping through a stack of books on the shelve.

"Something that could get him in trouble," Max answered. "Drugs, alcohol, maybe half written death threats?"

"Well, there's plenty of weed in here," Rose joked. Max gave her a 'very funny' expression.

"Unbelievable," Rose huffed, stomping toward the desk. A pile of their homework papers shuffled themselves while a quill scribbled on each at random. "He's not even reading them? I was wondering why I wasn't getting a good grade."

"You've been getting top marks in this class, Rose," said Max in confusion.

"So, we found something, how do we prove what we see? We didn't bring a camera."

"We can't do anything yet. We'll have to come back with more preparations."

"Okay, so we found that he's not actually grading us, can we go? I can't breathe with all the chemicals," Rose coughed.

"Not yet," said Max. He had just picked up a photo of a slightly less than beautiful girl around seventeen on the desk.

"Is that Supple's daughter?" Rose asked.

"Must be," said Max. "Looks just like him. I didn't know he had a kid."

"What happened in his life to be where he is now?" Rose asked. "I mean, being a Hogwarts Professor is a great job, but he hates it. Why would you do something that you hate so much? But we know that he doesn't want to leave given that he's trying to sack Hagrid. Who was he before Hogwarts?"

"Looks like he was a Vattalion, class 3," said Max, sitting on the desk with his foot propped on an open drawer flipping through an unorganized stack of papers.

"He was in the Wizard Military?" Rose scooted closer to see the pages Max was shuffling through.

"Merlin, was that him?" Rose pointed at a photo of a thirty-year-old Supple wearing official Vattalion uniform, red robes with brown trim and leather cape, black knee-high boots, and a small foldable side cap with the Vattalion wand symbol on the hat and cloak arms.

Vattalions were similar to Aurors except they worked in high numbers on front lines of battles. They were the last resort, panic call. When the Vattalions showed up, and you were on the wrong side, you died. They were greatly admired and respected among the wizarding community. In ancient times, they were even called to assist in muggle wars that would affect the world. During the reign of Voldemort, the Vattalions were all corrupted and became greatly feared by the resistance. They were ordered to kill without hesitation and sometimes, without reason. And many did. Only a few were sensible enough to run away and go into hiding. But they were those who still had a soul. As a Vattalion, it was a well-known fact that you were wiped of all emotion. The program broke you down from youth and built you in the way they wanted. Supple wasn't a dried-up prune in this photo. He was young and full of life and determination.

"How did a bloody Vattalion trickle down to be a Hogwarts Professor?" Rose asked. "Class 3, you said? No wonder he hates his life now, he was a Vattalion!"

"Not just any Vattalion," Max whispered. "He was a Valdawn."

Rose gasped. Vattalions come in numbers ranging from twelve to twenty-four. The Valdawn was a well-known troop in particular. Nearly every wizard child who was born to a Ministry or military official had heard of the Dawn of Duphill. It was atop Duphill that nearly all of the Vattalions had been killed in the battle of Ascormires and Zeffner. When all hope had seemed lost in keeping the battle from spreading into Northern Ireland, one troop rose from the ash and fire, one Vattalion. Silhouetted in the flames, they took back to Duphill, half being injured. Nobody knows how they did it, not even that Vattalion. All anyone knows, is that at dawn of daybreak, thirteen figures appeared from the smog with the survivors wrapped around their necks. The Ascormires and Zeffners were never seen again. They became legend and were given the name, Valdawn, that every wizard child would soon know. Rose thought they had all died. Nearly every Valdawn had mysteriously dropped dead within the next ten years. _Was Supple the last survivor?_

She snatched the photo from Max's hand and stared at the twelve men and one woman. They stood tall and proud in the photo, and all nodded respectfully from the glossy paper at them. All but the woman, who pointed. Rose turned around. Behind them, like a ghost back from the grave was Professor Supple with a pair of hedge trimmers in his hand.

Rose didn't look away.

"What are you doing in here?" he croaked gruffly.

"You were a Valdawn!" Rose exclaimed.

Supple's eyes trailed from Rose's face and into her hands where the photo was held and to the pile of sloppy papers in Max's lap.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THESE?" h le barked. Supple snatched the photo from Rose's hands and grabbed Max by the back of the neck and threw him away from the desk allowing the stack of papers to fall to the ground.

"You were a Vattalion!" Rose repeated. "What happened? Why are you here?"

"YOU ARE TRESPASSING! YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN HERE! GET OUT!"

"But why are you a Professor? You had it all!"

"Sir," Max started. "We've been reading about you all our lives! Why don't you own your heroism?"

"Those days were lost to time. I will not go back!" Supple barked. "You were never supposed to know!"

"You could have benefits, care, retirement! I don't understand," said Rose.

"Why would I come out when we were being hunted?"

"Hunted?" said Max. "But the papers said that it was all natural causes. Were the Valdawn murdered?"

"No more!" called Supple. "Fifty points from Gryffindor!"

"Fifty?" called Rose in outrage. "What did we do?"

"Trespassing, snooping, harassment!"

"BULLCRAP!" Rose screeched. "We ought to tell Hagrid about your umbrella fetish!"

"Another fifty!"

"Why?"

" _Blackmailing_."

"This is asinine!"

"Rose, we have to go," said Max, his eyes and hair blood red and his temper quivering.

Rose was shaking with anger and the unjust of one hundred points. Max took her sleeve and turned to leave.

"Wait," said Supple. Rose glared at him. "Read this," He scooped a paper from the floor and tossed it at her. Rose stared confusedly at him, then down at the paper.

It looked to be a tax form and took twelve minutes to read every bit of the boring, minuscule writing.

Rose finally finished and threw it at the ground. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

Supple held up a finger and waited. Something binged on Rose's watch, and she looked down to find that the time was now nine-thirty at night.

"You're up after hours," Supple hissed. " _Another one hundred points._ "

Rose nearly leaped onto Supple, wanting to strangle him. Max grabbed her around the waist and held her back.

"Bastard!" Max called.

Supple leaned close to Rose's face and glared into her malice-full eyes. "If you speak a word of the Vattalion to anyone else, I will not seize until every ruby has left your hourglass."

Max dragged her backward from the shed. Supple glared them out. Rose gripped Max's arm so hard that her finger tips hurt; he didn't seem to notice. His arms were so tense that Rose doubted a good punch to the arm would affect him at all.

They entered the castle and stopped at the great hall. Rose could hear the 'clink, clink, clink,' of the rubies still shooting up from the Gryffindor hourglass. Rose decided to sit on the Gryffindor table and watch the rubies disappear, with every single one, she could feel a sick thud in her stomach. It took twenty minutes for all two hundred rubies to glide up, even counting the ghost-like transparent rubies that meant Gryffindor was now in the negative.

It was one in the morning when she and Max separated for bed. Rose screamed into her pillow that night.

"What's wrong?" Pamela asked tiredly.

"You'll see," Rose mumbled into her pillow.

Supple deserved to die.


End file.
